A Different Path
by love2read69
Summary: One small difference can change an entire life. When Deku's life takes an unexpected turn, will he give up on his dream of becoming a hero? Or will he rise above the challenges before him and become the best? Read to find out! BatmanXMy Hero Academia crossover. Pairing undecided!
1. Chapter 1

It was a dark night in the city when a woman walked down the streets. She had gotten off work a bit late due to an overdue deadline and was currently heading home through the empty streets. She noticed a few men hanging around a local convenience store, drinking from covered containers. She started walking a bit faster, slightly worried they were dangerous. "Hey there, babe. How about keeping us company for a while?" One of the men called out, a slight slur in his speech.

She shook her head and uttered out a meek reply "No, thank you!" She then proceeded to speed walk on. Two of the men watched her retreating figure with a smirk. "She'll do nicely..." A large man wearing a wife beater mused as he licked his lips, a perverse grin spreading across his features. He motioned for the two other men to follow him, a plan forming in his mind as he jogged after the woman.

The woman sighed as she caught her breath next to an old apartment complex. She swallowed hard and wiped the sweat from her brow as she looked forward. ' _Almost home!'_ She thought happily as she began her journey, only to feel a large arm wrap around her shoulder and throw her into the nearby alley. She winced as she hit the ground and quickly looked up to spot three of the men from the convenience store surrounding her.

"Now, that wasn't very nice!" One of the men said with a childish tone. "You ran off before me and my boys could even say hi." He finished as he motioned to his men behind him. "How about to make up for it, you keep us company tonight?" The man finished with a twisted grin. "NO!" The woman began with a frightened tone and was about to call for help, only to feel a large hand cover her mouth and the other wrap around her hands, rendering her immobile.

She looked back at the man with pure terror in her eyes. _'NO! I don't want this!'_ The woman yelled internally as she looked at the man before her unbutton his pants. She tried to bite down on the man's hand covering her mouth, but quickly shut the plan down as she heard him speak. "You bite me, they won't be able to identify the body!" The man said in a serious tone. Suddenly, a loud thud was heard as the man before her crumpled to the ground.

A figure dressed in dark clothing now stood before the woman and the two remaining men. "Let her go. Now." The figure said in a steely voice. "What if we don't, ya freak!?" The man demanded. "What the hell are you doing?! We don't know what kind of quirk he has!" The other man hissed as he pulled his pants up and retrieved a switchblade he kept with him at all times. "Nah, this freak ain't no hero. He isn't registered! The only one that might look like him is Eraserhead, and he doesn't look anything like this freak!" The man finished with a smirk.

The man holding the switchblade activated his quirk, making his entire body take on the sheen of freshly polished steel. _'Interesting. Maybe his quirk allows his body to take on the properties of any item he holds.'_ The dark figure thought as he kept an eye on the other man. The remaining thug tossed the woman to the side and activated his quirk, muscles rippling through his frame. ' _Enhanced strength..'_ The dark figure mused.

"Alright, ya freak, it's go time!" The man yelled as both thugs charged him. The figure sidestepped the blade coming at him from the metal thug and shoved him forcefully into a nearby wall. He turned to see a fist flying to his face and with practiced ease, he ducked under it. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the man above him by his shoulder and crotch and flipped him, slamming him harshly into the ground.

The man with the blade recovered at this point and swung towards the figure, only for him to quickly move out of the way, the blade now hitting the man on the floor. Taking advantage of the chaos, the figure quickly grabbed the man by the throat and with a mighty heave, lifted him up off the ground. With one last motion, he threw the man into a metal dumpster head first, knocking him out cold. The turned to the man on the ground, who was clutching the stab wound in his stomach.

"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!" The man demanded as he saw the darkly dressed figure grab his friends and put them back to back. Within a few seconds, they were tied up and resting on the curb outside the alley. He nudged the woman and helped her up. "Are you ok?" The figure asked as the woman cowered away from him. He held his hands up to show he meant no harm and extended his arm to help her up.

"I mean you no harm. The thugs are taken care of, I just need you to call the police and tell them what happened." He finished and pointed to the tied up criminals. The woman nodded as she looked at her clothes, stained and covered in garbage from the alley. "You'll be safe now." The man finished as she stood on her wobbly legs and dialed the emergency number.

He stayed with her as she told the operator her location and what happened, and as soon as the call ended, he turned to leave. "Wait…" the woman muttered cautiously. "Who are you? What agency do you work with? So I can let the police know who saved me!" She asked as her eyes kept locked on the figure before her.

"I'm not with an agency, nor am I registered." The man said in a rough voice and took off. He jumped as soon as he reached the side of a building and held on to the fire escape. From there, he jumped to the opposite fire escape and climbed up the side until he reached the rooftop. The wind blew past him, kicking his cloak up all around him as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop in his escape.

*Time skip – After the Cops Arrive*

One of the detectives at the crime scene sighed. "Lady, we're going to need you to come down to the station and see if you can identify the "hero" who helped you." The man said as he continued to look through his notes, not finding much that could be helpful. "But he told me he wasn't registered! And he didn't belong to any agency!" The woman repeated for the umpteenth time. "We'll review the available database. In the meantime, please come with us." The man finished and escorted her to his vehicle.

As he turned, a policeman approached him. "So, did you find out who helped her?" The man asked. "She claims he isn't registered, and none of the heroes stationed here match the description she gave." The man muttered as he lit a cigarette and took a long drag. "So what, we have an unknown hero?" The policeman asked. "Vigilante. The law clearly states anyone conducting hero work without being registered or approved is considered a vigilante." The detective corrected him.

"In this day and age, who would have thought that would still be a thing?" The policeman wondered as he walked away. The detective nodded as he got into his car and drove off. Ever since quirks became commonplace in the world, so did heroes. They often registered willingly, as they were given assistance and an actual paycheck. It was almost unheard of to be a vigilante nowadays. All heroes basked in the limelight.

-With the Dark Figure-

The dark figure continued to run as he approached a familiar rooftop. He continued to run until he jumped off, then with a twisting motion, grabbed the handrail and quietly pushed himself into the balcony. He opened a sliding door and went inside, taking off his face mask. As he pulled the mask over his head, dark hair with a slight green outline could be seen. His once wide eyes, filled with wonder and amazement at the heroes, seemed hardened, something no teenager should have.

He removed his uniform and turned the television on, then hopped into the shower. "In tonight's top story, a new unidentified hero stopped a robbery in process near Senjin Station. Full story at eleven." The woman finished as he stepped out of the shower. His green-black hair had grown tame through the years, but those eyes were the same. He stood at 5'9, with an athletic physique. Long gone was the baby fat that once adorned his cheeks. This is Midoriya Izuku, our main protagonist. He smirked as he saw the goons carted off to jail in the background of the report. He put his uniform away and crawled into bed to get some sleep.

*Dreamscape *

Midoriya sat quietly in the stiff, white chair. He had been having this dream ever since that fateful day, 8 years ago. He knew that having a recurring nightmare could point to deep psychological issues, but he didn't particularly care. HE watched in silence as he saw the doctor tell a younger version of himself that he would never be a hero, to give it up. He listened to the same old explanation of how the excess of bones on his feet pointed to the lack of the evolution that cause quirks. The only part that impacted him was his mother.

She was so crushed when she first heard that he would never be a hero. Back then, heroes had only started coming to the surface, the most easily recognized being All-Might. And his younger self, as all kids do, idolized the man. He wanted to be just like him. He wanted to be the fearless hero who fought the enemy with a smile on his face, the one who could overcome all odds. His mother stifled her sobs as the doctor continued to question her about her quirk.

Scene Change – Home -

Midoriya sighed as the dreamscape changed around him. He looked up to see his younger self crying, but all the while begging his mother to put on All-Might's rescue video. He held back tears as he saw her break down and beg his forgiveness, thinking his lack of a quirk was her fault in some way. He reached his hand out in an attempt to console her, to not let history repeat itself. But the thing about memories is, it's already too late.

He winced as he saw her stand up and wipe away her tears. "Ne, Deku-kun? How about mommy makes you that desert you like so much?" She asked in an attempt to lift his spirits. She put her chin into her hand in a thoughtful pose and began reviewing the ingredients list, only to realize a small issue. "I'm out of vanilla extract! No problem, we'll run out to the store and get some!" She finished with a force smile as she got ready to go.

-Scene Change – Convenience Store –

Young Deku and his mother had just left the convenience store when a man holding a gun approached them. "Alright, don't try anything cute and nobody dies!" The man said as he pointed the gun at Young Deku. "You try activating your quirk, the brat goes first" The man hissed with no remorse. His mother nodded and held her hands up. "Now, give me all the cash you have!" The man demanded. His mother moved to get her purse, only to suddenly hear a loud voice. "Have no fear! I am here!" the voice yelled loudly as a man in latex jumped down and tried to rush the mugger.

The mugger quickly turned and fired two shots into the chest of the so-called hero. His mother quickly threw herself over Young Deku, using her body to shield him. The mugger heard the sound of his mother hitting the ground and in a panic, shot twice more into their direction. He cursed loudly as he saw the woman crumple and fall to the ground. Thinking quickly, the man grabbed her purse and ran away, trying with all his might to outrun the incoming sirens.

Young Deku sat in a stunned silence as he saw his mother bleed out before him. This wasn't supposed to happen! He lived in a world of heroes! Heroes always came in and helped make the day better! He cried as his mother smiled up at him, the life quickly draining from her. "Deku-kun, mommy's…" She winced in pain, "..Mommy's not going to be around anymore. But promise me this. You'll be a good boy. You'll always do your best, eat your vegetables, and be polite.." She continued with a raspy tone.

"And help those you can. Above all, survive. Remember, I love you, and I'm sorry that I couldn't give you a quirk.." She finished as the sirens arrived to the scene, followed by an ambulance. A policeman quickly jumped out of his cruiser and approached the scene of the crime. "Any survivors?!" another policeman rang out. The policeman checked the downed hero, followed by his mother. "I don't think.." The man began as he checked his mother for a pulse.

"Shit, we have a pulse! But she's losing blood fast!" He yelled as the paramedics jumped to action. Young Deku didn't want to be left behind, so he raised his little hand and tugged at the police officer. "There's a kid too!" The man yelled as he picked up Young Deku by his arms and took him to the side. His young arms reached for his mother as the police officer took him to his cruiser and began checking him over for wounds.

Once none were found, he looked to the kid and asked his name. "What's your name, kid?" The man asked, but Deku only motioned for his mother. The policeman nodded, understanding the child as he buckled the kid in and turned on his lights, signaling it was an emergency as he followed the ambulance.

-Hospital – Waiting Area-

Young Deku was in shock as he sat in the cold waiting room. He hadn't eaten or had anything to drink for over 12 hours, and the nurses were now whispering in hushed tones around him. "That poor boy..." He heard a nurse whisper as she walked with a colleague. "A mugging gone bad..." He heard another woman whisper. He shut his eyes and cried to himself, hugging his knees to his chest to help keep him warm.

A large coat was suddenly draped over him, and a firm hand grabbed his shoulder. "It's going to be ok, son. We're going to catch the bastard who did this." The man said in a firm, strong voice. That was all it took for Young Deku to break down and cry. Cry for everything he just lost.

-Time Skip – After Funeral-

"We tried to contact your father, son. But he's not in the country at this moment. And since we couldn't contact anyone else, we're sending you to Edogawa Orphanage." The police officer said as Young Deku sat with his court appointed guardian. "I've already spoken with the man in charge, and he said there shouldn't be an issue with this. I'm sorry son, but this is all we can do for now." The man finished and motioned to the social worker.

-With Midoriya-

Midoriya, also known as Deku, jumped lightly as he awoke from his slumber. He held his head as he sat up. _'That nightmare again…'_ He thought as he turned on the TV and began getting ready to go about his day. He grabbed his suit from the closet and outfitted it with his usual gear, shuriken, and a thin blade that could deal a decent amount of damage. He turned to see the next story, a long-time murdered had been caught a while back and his trial was ending.

The same mugger from that night. Time had not been kind to him, but Deku could see the man as clearly as he had the day his mother was ripped from his life. He checked himself in the mirror one last time, then headed out of the apartment.

 **-Author's Note-**

Yes, I am alive! And still kicking, albeit barely. I know what a lot of you are thinking. "But why aren't you continuing your other stories?!" Truth be told, that was the plan, but for what I'm thinking, I need to do a crap ton of research. Anyway, this is my latest project, a crossover between My Hero Academia and Batman. When I first saw this series, my first thought was "This is like batman, except he eventually gets powers."

Then I thought, "What if he didn't get powers, but still achieved his dreams?" And thus, this was born. Now, for the sake of this story, Deku is 19 years old. Anyway, it's a bit grittier than it should, but I needed proper plot set-up. Let me know what you think, and as always:

Read and Review!


	2. Chapter 2

-Last Time-

He checked himself in the mirror one last time, then headed out of the apartment.

-Now-

Deku looked at the closed court door before him. How should he do it? A shuriken through the throat? A satisfying slash with his blade to make it personal? Or maybe the old revolver in his pocket. After all, it wasn't like the man's Police Escort was going to let him get dangerously close. He noticed the door open and saw a lawyer step out with a protection team. Whoever this was, they had some pretty lofty connections.

He got up and slowly walked towards them, taking advantage of the oncoming slew of reporters trying to get a single quote from the man. He dug into his pocket and was about to pull out a handful of Shuriken, only to be jostled as gunshots resounded directly besides him. He turned to see an elderly woman holding a large revolver. The recoil seemed to have hurt her wrist, but she was still standing. She had tears streaming down her face as a police officer took the gun from her and two others flanked her.

"YOU TOOK MY SON FROM ME! YOU TOOK MY BABY!" She yelled in half-hearted sobs, the pain of her son's death overcoming her. "HE HAD JUST GRADUATED UA! HE WAS GOING TO BE A BIG HERO AND FULFILL HIS DREAM! AND WHY?! FOR FUCKING POCKET CHANGE!' She yelled as she dug into her pocket. By this point, the police were trying to render her wrist immobile, but he managed to make out what she was fishing for.

She grabbed a handful of coins and threw them at the rapidly fading thief. "ALL THAT WASTE FOR NOTHING!" She yelled. Deku looked at the down man, his grip still on the shuriken. _'He could still survive his wounds…'_ He mused to himself as he prepared to attack the man, only to feel a soft hand cover his. "Now isn't the time!" A soft voice hissed from behind him. He turned to see a girl, about 16 or so, with brown hair and hazel eyes looking at him.

She wore a typical skirt and white blouse, blending in perfectly with all of the people around them. She had a deceivingly slim build, her full lips and angled features telling a story no other person knew. She quickly grabbed his hand and dragged him to the nearby fire exit.

-Outside the Court-

The woman quickly grabbed his hand and slammed it into a nearby wall, making him relinquish his hold on the shuriken in his hand. She then kneed Deku in his stomach, making the boy crumple over while trying to catch his breath. As he gasped for air, she looked herself over in the mirror to make sure nothing was out of place. "So, care to explain why you were going to off that bastard?" She demanded in a cold tone.

"None of your business..." Deku replied as he slowly stood up. This earned him a slap across the face from said woman. "Deku…" She began, sighing at the stubborn nature. She had known Deku for a long time, long enough to know his childhood's friend nickname for him. If she had to be honest, He was a person she cherished and held dearly. "Deku, I know he killed..." She began, only to be surprised as his fist flew past her face and into the wall behind her. She turned to see blood running down his fist, but he paid it no mind.

"You don't know a thing..." Deku said as he flicked the blood from his hand and walked away. She followed him until he got to a nearby train station. She then joined him as he purchased a ticket home. As the two sat in awkward silence, she couldn't help but glance over at the man besides her. When he arrived at the Orphanage, he was a broken boy. A clean slate, which her father all too eagerly accepted. From the split second the judge sent him to their orphanage, any hope of a normal childhood was gone.

 _-Flashback-_

It was the late into the night as Talia watched the police drive up the hill. Ever since she was little, she and her father lived in and ran this orphanage. "Father, we have another one!" She yelled back. Her father came out from the house and nodded, looking at the incoming police officers. "Hello, Officers. How may I assist you?" He asked in a pleasant voice. The officer asked him to confirm the information he was sent earlier that day and had him sign a few forms.

Within a few minutes, the rear door opened and a young boy came out of the police car. One of the officers looked at him and got down to the ground level. "Now son, we're still looking for the bad man. For now, Mr. Rahs will look over you." The man said as he nodded to the man, who led Deku inside. From there, the first evening seemed to be fine. He introduced himself to the other children, socialized for a bit, and then went to dinner.

At dinner, his water tasted a bit oddly. He took two sips after eating, then his eyelids grew heavy.

-Present time-

Deku got off the train and wandered back to his apartment. While not legally old enough to be able to afford his own place, he had managed to convince Rah's to let him explore the outside. He noticed Talia was still following him, an amused smile on her face. "What is it?" He asked, her smirk irking him. "Isn't this where the police say a vigilante was seen last night?" She asked in a cheeky tone. He slightly faltered at the statement, but continued.

"Wouldn't know." He replied tersely and turned into an apartment complex. He walked inside, not looking at Talia, but left the door open for her to come in. She followed up a flight of stairs, then into his residence. "Make yourself at home." Deku announced as he began to take his suit off. "I need a shower..." He muttered to himself. "I'll join you." She said in a husky voice, making him turn to see her.

He had seen that smirk before. Right before a cat pounces on its prey. "On second thought, good night." He said as he walked to his bedroom. She quickly followed him, tip-toeing behind him. Once he was in his futon to sleep, he turned to see her looking at him expectantly. "What?" He asked. "You can't expect a girl to sleep in the cold while you're warm, can you?" She demanded. He sighed, but got out of the futon and let her take it.

He quickly went to the couch and crashed, the days being more emotionally draining than he expected.

-Dreamscape –

Deku awoke, only to see it was dark. He could feel something running up his leg and tried to move his hand to remove it, only to find it was firmly in place. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he could see that there were four other children with him. "Ah good, everyone's here…" A voice came from the darkness. Deku's eyes adjusted slightly and he managed to make out a figure standing before them. "Now, only one of you will be walking outside of that door…" The figure motioned to the door, "Alive. The rest of you will not. The game itself is simple enough. Survive." The man finished as he opened the door and walked out.

And that's exactly what he did. He survived. Through the hunger pangs in his young belly, through the cries of the other children, through the animals that would gnaw at him in a desperate attempt to feed. He outlasted the small redheaded boy who went limp, his plump figure suggesting he was used to eating more than usual. He outlasted the short boy who went limp around the second day, when the rats had eaten a large chunk of skin from his leg.

He outlasted all the others, remembering only what his mother told him to do. _'Survive..'_ was the only coherent thought he had in his mind as hours turned to days, days to weeks. The remaining children had exhausted themselves screaming for help that would never come, or dehydrated themselves with useless crying. Not him. He remained strong and steadfast. And he was rewarded. On the 2nd day of the first week, a small chunk of bread landed at his feet.

"Eat…" a soft voice came. He reached for the chunk, his shackles barely allowing him to do so. He ravenously took a few bites, but stopped as he heard sniffling. One of the two remaining boys was crying, obviously his hunger having gotten the better of him. Deku looked at his bread and had a single thought _'Why let myself starve?'_ He demanded. But before the thought could continue, he heard his mother's voice. _"..And help those you can.."_ If he had to be honest, he wasn't that hungry.

Bone-crushing depression would do that to you. And the fact the social worker got him something to eat prior to moving him out to the orphanage helped, not a lot considering the time frame. He tore the remaining bit of bread into two pieces and tossed them to the two remaining children. "Eat.." he whispered in a hoarse voice, his stomach already protesting. His roommates didn't need to be told twice and ravenously dug into the food. Deku turned to his corner, but was stopped as a child with blonde hair asked his name.

"D…I'm Deku." Deku replied, not noticing a younger pair of hazel eyes watching him. The boy nodded and introduced himself. He was Jiro, and the other child was Geru. They had been transferred from a state-run orphanage to here, since over-crowding was an issue. And the boys began a camaraderie of sorts. Their hopes, dreams, likes, dislikes, and fears were shared, the light conversation helping improve the morale of the room. Which is why it hurt more when they went limp.

Geru went first, having succumbed to dehydration and the lack of food. His death was harmful, but not as much as Jiro's. Jiro was afraid of bats, as they seemed to be the creatures of the night who would drain your blood for a snack. To him, they symbolized fear. Yet, he envied them, for the few that would perch in their hell-hole would be free to fly away, past that crevice and to freedom. Deku knew this because Jiro told this to him with his final breath.

And another reminder. _"Live, Deku-chan. Make it out of here."_ His friend whispered as his eyes closed. Deku cried that night, until his cries alerted the guards of what happened. He was quickly taken to the infirmary to be treatedfor all of his ailments and was eventually taken to the owner yet again, Rah's. "Do you know why I did that?" Rah's demanded as he took a bite of his dinner. "No..." the boy replied, unaware of why he was subjected through that.

Rah's motioned to a seat before the boy and a meal laid out for him. The boy sat and reached for his utensils, prepared to eat. Deku noticed a steak knife and cautiously picked it up, eyeing the man before him. He clumsily gripped the knife and threw himself at Rah's, only to be stopped by two hands grabbing him and flinging him into the wall. He turned to see a man dressed in all black appear out of nowhere. The man nodded to Rah's, then fell back into a shadow and disappeared.

' _A quirk?'_ Young deku thought. "That is why. This orphanage functions as a cover for me and my men. And I think you have exactly what is needed to join." Rahs continued, looking at the terrified Deku. "Why would I join a group who murdered my friends?!" Deku demanded, enraged. "I've read up on your story, Deku. No quirk, mother died from an upstart hero trying to make a name for himself, and all alone in the world..." The man began.

"The man you just saw disappear. That was no quirk. That was the way of the ninja. We can train you, so you can become the hero you've always wanted." Rahs continued. "Think about it, a world where you help by eliminating the bad guys. A world where tragedies like yours are ended before they begin." Rah's continued, subtly hinting that the work wasn't as dark as what it appeared. "As for your friends, it was a necessary sacrifice." Rahs said in a stern tone.

"You will be trained to be an assassin. That means that people will die, and you must be prepared to handle this." Rah's finished. "What do you say?" Rah's asked with a grin spreading across his face. Deku thought about his friends and how they died. It was painful, sure, but he needed to get better than he was. He would stop stories like his from happening, and he still had unsettled business. His mother's killer was still out there, and he would kill the man. This was without a doubt. "I accept." The young child squeaked.

"Good." Rah's mused as he nodded to the boy. A large sword suddenly appeared at Deku's neck, a few centimeters from cutting his throat. "If you hadn't, you'd be dead right now." The man finished harshly as he turned away.

-End of Dream / Morning Time-

Deku groaned as he felt the sunlight hit his face. He stirred, only to feel a weight atop of him. He peeked his eye open to see Talia cuddled up above him, a content smile across her face. A small smile graced his face as the daughter of one of the world's top assassins held onto his arm while sleeping. He allowed himself to go back to sleep, enjoying the feeling of another person for a few seconds.

A/N:

So, not a lot of action yet, main reason being in a world damn near full of quirks, I can do whatever the hell I want! So, I'm establishing a bit of back story, and establishing how he knows what he knows. Anyway, I am interested in some feedback to see how I'm doing, so please don't be shy. And as always,

Read and Review!


	3. Chapter 3

-Last Time:-

Izuku groaned as he felt the sunlight hit his face. He stirred, only to feel a weight atop of him. He peeked his eye open to see Talia cuddled up above him, a content smile across her face. A small smile graced his face as the daughter of one of the world's top assassins held onto his arm while sleeping. He allowed himself to go back to sleep, enjoying the feeling of another person for a few seconds.

-Now-

Izuku looked down from the rooftop where he was brooding. Yes, he admitted his hobby to himself. He was looking down at the shining lights all throughout the city. It seemed so calm and peaceful, but he knew better. It had been three months since he arrived back in town, and as usual, things did not go his way. He had been going on patrols at night to help avoid his nightmares, and each night he had stopped a crime. From muggings to robbery, it seemed the city never slept. He got up, exposing his all black outfit. He was currently wearing combat boots, dark pants, a long-sleeved shirt, gloves, and solid black face mask. On his belt was a small pouch for holding shuriken and a tanto blade was strapped to his back. He looked up and stared across the rooftops to another building. Someone had been tailing him for a few nights, and he was going to get answers.

-Rooftop - Eraserhead -

Eraserhead yawned as he looked across the rooftop. _'Why did I agree to this again.'_ he wondered quietly as he kept an eye on the opposite rooftop. He had been assigned a task to keep an eye out for the new vigilante running around town stopping crimes. Normally, he wouldn't care, but this assignment had come from someone he couldn't deny. _'Time to meet the new kid, I guess.'_ Eraserhead mused as he saw the dark figure he had been monitoring stand up and look straight at his position. With a quick shake of his head, his visor dropped over his eyes. He grabbed onto his scarf like weapon and used it as a rope to jump to the opposite rooftop to meet the vigilante.

-Izuku-

Izuku looked ahead as he saw the figure come to light. _'Yellow visor, bandage like scarf, dark hair?'_ He quickly took note. "What do you want?" Izuku asked in a low, gravelly voice. "Not the friendly one, are you?" Eraserhead asked as he slowly approached the Izuku. "I'm not usually friendly with stalkers." Izuku shot back harshly. "Well, I have orders to bring you in.." Eraserhead said with a lack of emotion, trying to get a reaction out of Izuku. _'Not even a flinch'_ Eraserhead mused as he looked ahead. "Not going to reply this time, tough guy?" Eraserhead asked as he looked ahead. Izuku shifted and dropped a smoke pellet on the ground, the rooftop quickly filling with smoke. Eraserhead tried to see through the smoke, and barely had time to duck as two shuriken flew over his head. "That wasn't very nice..." He mused as more smoke bombs went off, completely obstructing his vision.

"I take it this means you won't come quietly." Eraserhead asked, only to feel a fist slamming into his stomach and knocking him back. He tried to retaliate with his bandages, but felt nothing impact. "Tch.." He said loudly. He quickly grabbed his bandage and swung it around the smoke like a makeshift whip, hoping to hit something. As the whip swung, it suddenly felt lighter. He looked up to see it had been cut. _'I...Impossible!'_ Eraserhead thought. The bandages were made to be strong enough to handle extreme weight and tough enough to not tear, even when a fully transformed physical quirk user was trapped. "So, you have a cutting quirk." Eraserhead said with a smirk, then made a dash to the edge of the rooftop and jumped. As he landed on a lower roof, he looked up to see nothing. "Kid's good...or at least he knows how to pick his battles." He mused as he looked around to find himself alone. He sighed as he jumped away to meet his contact.

-30 Minutes Later - Location Unknown-

Eraserhead looked at the man in the lab coat before him. "I found him, but the brat is smart." Eraserhead stated as the man approached him. "He managed to cut the bandages? A cutting or wind quirk, then." The man stated as he noticed the damaged Weapon on Eraserhead's shoulders, then took some notes. "So why are you so interested in finding him, Lucius?" Eraserhead asked the now identified man. Lucius Kenta, a man with a creation quirk. He had extremely high intelligence, and his quirk showed him how to create or build anything he thought up. The man had been a genius in his own right, but an incident took its toll upon him and his reputation. After a questionable experiment went south, He was expelled from the scientific community and now worked underground creating equipment for superheroes. "This guy is a vigilante, so why bother finding him?" Eraserhead asked. "Tell me, why do you do what you do?" Lucius inquired.

"Because I'm a hero..." Eraserhead responded. "Yes, sure. And I'm sure being known as the top underground hero and getting that check from the government helps as well." He shot back, getting a flinch from Eraserhead. "That still doesn't answer my question." Eraserhead shot back. Lucius tapped a few keys on his computer and a large number of files on people popped up. "On the screen are the profiles of all the people he's saved. Anything pop out at you?" He asked. Eraserhead looked for a few minutes and realized something. Most of these people had low level quirks, or none at all. 'turn fingers into tools, slightly increased strength, low regeneration; N/A' Eraserhead read quietly. "A lot of them are normal. And the few who could have helped themselves have no training." Eraserhead noticed. "Correct. Most heroes only go after big fish, or life ending events. He's helping out the normal people who would normally be left to fend for themselves because they're low priority." Lucius concluded.

"So you want…. to help him?" Eraserhead asked. "Yes." Lucius replied. Eraserhead was about to protest Lucius helping a wanted vigilante, but was stopped as Lucius raised his hand. "Remember Eraserhead, most of the gear you and some other heroes have comes from me. I help who I want, and if I'm not around, people wouldn't have their gear. Including you." Lucius finished as he left the room, letting Eraserhead know it was time to take his leave.

-With Izuku -

Izuku watched from a rooftop as a large number of thugs were gathered. _'I can't take this many down.'_ He thought as he looked at the man in the center of the forming group. The man was tall, with grey skin and yellow eyes. _'A skin quirk?'_ Izuku wondered as he watched on. The man tapped something in his hand and a large hologram popped up, revealing a picture of an older man with dark skin, slightly greying hair, and brown eyes. "Hephaestus. Bounty: 100 Million" Izuku read quietly as he looked on at the men. "You know the drill, maggots." The large man spoke up.

"Dead Or Alive." He finished, getting a loud yell from everyone present. 'This is..a hit!" Izuku realized. He ran towards a nearby payphone and dialed the local PD. "Police Department, What's your emergency?" The man on the line asked. "I'm at the corner of Shizen and Kenta, near the industrial complex. A lot of thugs are gathering." Izuku said. "And what's your name?" The man asked. Izuku hung up and hoped the man would actually answer the call. He quickly ran into the night, in an effort to find this "Hephaestus" before any of the other men could.

A/N: Read and Review!


	4. Chapter 4

-Last Time-

Izuku hung up and hoped the man would actually answer the call. He quickly ran into the night, in an effort to find this "Hephaestus" before any of the other men could.

-Now-

Izuku looked at the computer screen in front of him. He had reached out to Talia to get some information on this guy, but he seemed to be a ghost. A few years ago, he had been an extremely important figure to the government. But he had developed a machine that managed to do something horrible, but the info failed to detail what. The machine was taken by some villains and as a result, dozens of heroes had died. After the incident, the man had been disgraced and had gone into hiding before the government had decided to put him on trial.

They had searched for him and had him on a most wanted list, but most of the heroes seemed to understand it wasn't his fault. _'All that time helping people, and he's hunted like a dog.'_ Izuku thought. He shook his head as an alert went off. He had gotten into the city's security camera mainframe and had put in his own bug, which was constantly scanning for the biometrics that would match Hephaestus' file photo. "Finally got a ping. Looks like a private residence." Izuku mused as he pulled his mask on. Within a few seconds, he was running to the residence.

-With Lucius-

Lucius looked in front of him. "Seems that someone isn't too keen on me staying alive." He mused as a figure got up from the chair in his darkened living room. The figure darted to the shadows with immense speed, letting out a loud hiss. "So, who's after me this time?" Lucius asked as he slowly moved towards the door. A scaly hand quickly stopped his and threw him into the wall, making the man yell in pain. "That'ssss none of your concern!" The figure stated as a large tail coiled around his body.

"You're my latessssst meal ticket..." The snake like creature stated, getting a groan from Lucius as its body constricted around him. "Now, should I take you in alive, or have my fun?" The figure mused as large fangs grew closer to Lucius. A loud bang was heard as the door was kicked from its hinges. Lucius watched as a dark figure kicked the snake's face away from him, then pulled a taser and slammed it into the creature's body. Lucius yelled as he felt the current course through him as well, but was thankful after a few seconds when the snake stopped constricting and loosened around him. Lucius' vision blurred as he looked at his savior, little visible except for brown eyes and a slightly tinted hair. His vision faded as he fell unconscious.

-Izuku's POV-

"Great, now he's out." Izuku mused as he picked the man up. He lifted the figure over his shoulder and began carrying him away, but stopped as a scaly tail coiled around his foot and slammed him into the wall. "How dare you!" The snake monster yelled. With quick thinking, Izuku reached into his pockets and pulled out a canister. With a quick pull, the room began to fill with a noxious smell. The snake tried to body slam him, but felt woozy as the scent got to her. Izuku got up, straightening his back as he grabbed Lucius' unconscious form and retreated from the man's home.

He ran into an alley and inspected the downed man for any signs of injuries. When he was satisfied there were none, he looked around for anything to help the man. He saw a Hobo with an overcoat on and approached him. As the hobo saw him get close, the man got into a defensive stance. As Izuku approached, he raised his hands to signify he meant no harm. He pulled a small wad of bills and asked. "How much for the coat?" The man looked at the money and quickly handed the coat off, then took his pay and began wandering off. Izuku quickly draped the coat over Lucius' downed form and took him to a nearby building that seemed to be abandoned. "Now we wait." Izuku muttered as he leaned against a wall.

-Lucius' POV-

Lucius' vision blurred as he regained conscience. He was in a dark room, the only light source being the glow of the outside coming in through the window panes. He slowly got up, shrugging off an overcoat that smelled live piss and tobacco. "Where am I?" He asked, not expecting an answer. "You're safe." A gravelly voice replied. He quickly turned to see the vigilante he had been trying to get in contact with sitting a few feet away from him. "The person who was trying to bring you in failed. I managed to get us away, but due to your notoriety, I couldn't exactly go to the police." Izuku continued, seeing Hephaestus tense. "Relax. If I perceived you as a major threat, I wouldn't have helped." Izuku stated as he motioned for Lucius to come closer. _'Don't let him take control of the situation.'_ Izuku thought to himself, remembering what he was taught.

"You seem to know who I am, but I don't know much about you." Lucius began, getting a glare from Izuku. "A name? An initial? A moniker?" Lucius asked. "Local PD seems content with calling me a vigilante." Izuku responded, getting a node from Lucius. "So, it is you. I've been looking forward to meeting you." Lucius stated as he neared Izuku. "I've answered your question, now you answer mine. Why did someone put a bounty after you?" Izuku asked. "Ah, that would probably be due to my ability." Lucius stated as he raised his hand. A large Heads Up Display manifested before him, cycling through schematics for weapons, gadgets, uniforms. "Did you burn the wrong person?" Izuku asked. "On the contrary. It's rare that I'm recognized or hunted, but on the rare occasions I am, it's usually a villain asking me to help him build a doomsday device. Most of them can't handle rejection very well." Lucius stated, getting a nod from Izuku.

"So you refused to help someone, and they painted a target on your back." Izuku summarized. "A man with grey skin and yellow eyes. Ring any bells?" Izuku asked, seeing a concerned look on Julius' face.

"I ..." Lucius began, but was stopped as a loud crash rang through the abandoned building. "Are you sure he's this way?" A voice demanded. "Yea, I'm sure!" Another voice replied. "Exssselent. Sssoon, we'll have our prey..." The last voice stated, making Lucius turn to Izuku.

"Be quiet, stay down, and don't try to be a hero." Izuku stated as he lead Lucius into an old, decrepit room. "What does that make you?" Lucius asked as the door closed with no reply.

A/N: Read and Review! Pretty Please? O.o


	5. Chapter 5

Last Time:

"Be quiet, stay down, and don't try to be a hero." Izuku stated as he lead Lucius into an old, decrepit room. "What does that make you?" Lucius asked as the door closed with no reply.

Now:

Izuku was perched atop an entryway, awaiting the guests that would soon be entering. "The scent is getting stronger!" A voice stated, making Izuku's eyes sharpen. _'Tracking via scent? A canine tendency based on quirk?'_ He wondered, trying to glean as much information as possible from their conversation. "Watch yourself. Whoever managed to ssssnag him from me." A voice began, but was cut off. "What, was he better than you?" The voice mocked. _'There's my scaly friend.'_ Izuku mused as he steadied his breathing.

"He got lucky! But he packssss a punch..." The snake woman hissed angrily. Izuku observed as they all passed under him, but didn't notice him. One was a man walking on all fours with a feral hairstyle, the snake like woman he had fought earlier trailed close to them. Behind both of them came a tall man with his hands covered in a rock like substance. "Whatever. Find them so we can take care of the fool and get our reward." The man stated.

The dog like man sniffed the air, then began looking upwards. Izuku took this as a sign to begin his assault. Before the man could notice him, Izuku dropped a smoke bomb. "What the hell?!" The large man demanded as he got into a boxing stance. Izuku landed as quietly as possible and punched the dog like man in the face, breaking his nose and making the man double over, clutching his face. Before the man could recover, a knee was slammed into his stomach, followed by a swift kick to his jaw. The man fell, out cold.

"Where is this punk?!" The man with concrete hands demanded. Before Izuku could move, a large tail knocked into his legs, making him lose his balance. "Got him!" The snake woman yelled as she coiled her tail around his foot and began squeezing. Izuku held in a yelp as he took out his tanto and stabbed it into the snake woman's tail, making her yell in pain and release her hold. With a quick movement, Izuku got behind her and slammed his fist into the base of her neck.

He knew the scales would be tough to get past, but they actually shredded his gloves. The snake woman backhanded him away, making him slam against the wall. Izuku quickly got his stun gun out again and slammed it into her tail, making the woman yelp in pain. She went down as Izuku tried to get up. A large fist quickly met the side of his head and made him drop to his knees. "You're a sneaky one, aren't you?" The man asked with glee in his voice. Izuku looked up, blood spilling from his brow as the man taunted him.

A large boot buried itself into his stomach, making Izuku cough up blood.

-Lucius POV-

Lucius grew curious as he heard the fight going on outside of his hiding place. "Where is this punk?!" One of the thugs demanded. A loud hissing was heard, signifying the beginning of the assault. Lucius cracked the door open and saw as a man flew from the smoke cloud, out could. He heard the yelp from the snake woman followed shortly by a heavy thud. As the smoke began clearing, he noticed Izuku fall to the floor, clutching his head. He then saw as a large boot buried itself into Izuku's chest. _'Why aren't you using your quirk?'_ Lucius wondered as he watched Izuku grip the boot in his chest and push back, sending the man falling back.

Izuku quickly got back up and charged at the man. He stretched his arm out and clotheslined the large man, making sure he avoided the blind swipes the man threw at him. Once the man fell onto his back, Izuku quickly shot two jabs at the man's head. The man quickly pushed him back with his concrete hands and got back up. As Izuku faced the man down, the man looked at him curiously. "Why are you helping this fugitive? Do you not know what he's done?" The man asked. "That's not up to you to decide. And death is not up to you to dish out for a price." Izuku replied, making the man growl and charge him.

As the man grew closer to Izuku, he raised his heel kick Izuku. In one swift motion, Izuku caught the foot and twisted it, making the man growl in pain. With the foot still in his hands, Izuku slammed his elbow downwards to the man's knee, getting a sickening crack and an even louder yell of pain. With one last motion, Izuku punched the man in the jaw, flooring the man. "That...was amazing." Lucius stated as he came out from the room, making Izuku look at him. Izuku silently nodded as he pulled out a regular rope and began tying up the unconscious villains. "Do you know anyone in law enforcement who can come take care of them?" Izuku asked. Lucius nodded. "I can make a call."

-Rooftop Across the Road - 1 Hour Later -

Izuku watched from a distance as the police lead the three people into their villain transport car. "You didn't use your quirk during the fight." Lucius stated behind him. "Didn't need to." Izuku lied, not wanting to give himself away. "Didn't want to. Or couldn't?" Lucius asked, making Izuku turn towards him. "What will you do now?" He asked, avoiding the question. "I have my ways of disappearing. I haven't avoided an entire country for so long without some secrets." Lucius stated as another figure landed besides him.

Izuku recognized the bandage like scarf and quickly got into a battle stance, only to stop as Eraserhead raised his hands. "Relax, kid. I'm not here for you." Eraserhead stated, then moved towards Lucius. Izuku threw a shuriken that embedded itself in front of Eraserhead. "You're not taking him in." He stated. "Relax. I called him here." Lucius stated. "When I told you I had orders to bring you in, it wasn't to the police. Well, those orders are there, but it was as a favor to Lucius." Eraserhead stated, getting a glare from Izuku. "Why help a wanted fugitive?" Izuku asked.

"He's a fugitive, but the hero community knows what really happened and we know he had no fault in the incident." Eraserhead began. "The underground heroes help him when he needs it, and he helps supply heroes with their gear." Eraserhead stated. Lucius nodded as he turned to Izuku. "Looks like this is my ride out of here. I'll be keeping an eye on you...I never got a name." Lucius stated, but turned to see Izuku was gone. "How did he do that?" Lucius asked, getting a snicker from Eraserhead. "He just turned and walked while you were in your own world." Eraserhead stated as he motioned for Lucius to follow him.

-With Izuku-

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief as he got home and took off his mask. Before he could take a step, a figure tackled him to the ground and a pair of lips locked onto his. He opened his eyes to see Talia there. "How long have you been waiting for?" Izuku asked with a small grin, getting one in return.

A/N: Read and Review!


	6. Chapter 6

Last Time:

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief as he got home and took off his mask. Before he could take a step, a figure tackled him to the ground and a pair of lips locked onto his. He opened his eyes to see Talia there. "How long have you been waiting for?" Izuku asked with a small grin, getting one in return.

Now:

Izuku walked down the streets with a bored look in his face, seeing Talia go from market stall to market stall doing her shopping. "Oh, this is cute!" She stated as she pulled out a pink shirt with "I Heart u" written on it. All she got was a blank look in return. "Fine, sourpuss. Stay in your dark and edgy clothing." She stated dismissively, then returned to her hunt. 'What is it with women and shopping?" Izuku internally wondered as he followed the girl in front of him. As they approached a corner street, a loud explosion went off. Izuku quickly looked to see Talia still on her feet. An older woman with pale blond hair was currently trying to push her way past a couple of heroes.

"Let me go! He's got my son!" She screamed as a hero with super strength held her in place. Another explosion went off, making everyone turn to see a large, slime like creature blowing up anything it touched, with a teenager being held firmly in his stomach. "You going to help, hero?" Talia asked quietly, but Izuku turned and began walking away. "Damn it, let me go, you useless pile of trash! I'm better than this!" The teen yelled, making Izuku stop in his tracks. A memory surfaced of himself and a similar kid with the same hairstyle in a playground. The kid was bullying himself and another child, but the other child had been hurt. Izuku tried to defend them both, but was no match for the boy.

-Flashback-

A smaller Izuku laid on the ground, his body battered and bruised. Before him was a smaller version of the kid in trouble, small explosions coming from his hands. "Don't you know better than to fight me, Deku?" The boy asked arrogantly as he dug his heel into Izuku's back. "I have an awesome quirk that will make me the best hero ever. You have no quirk. Do you know why, Deku?" The kid asked, then leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Because I'm better than you."

-Flashback end-

Izuku looked back at the kid, who looked like he was running low on time. "What are you going to do?" Talia asked. Izuku turned to the mother.

-Flashback-

A small Izuku was crying on the ground. He had tried to be a good friend to Kacchan, but the boy was so mean. "Hey there, little man!" A confident voice stated. He turned to see Kacchan's mom approaching him. "What's wrong?" She asked with an honest concern. "Nothing, I'm fine." Izuku stated, but was stopped as Kacchan's mom put her hand on his shoulder. "It was that spoiled brat of mine, wasn't it?" She asked, getting a shaky nod from Izuku. "Oh, he's in for a world of hurt when he gets home!" She stated, cracking her knuckles, but stopped as a weight gripped her leg.

"Please don't be mad at Kacchan." The younger Izuku pleaded. 'This kid... He's literally been blown away, and he's more worried about my delinquent son than himself.' She thought as she looked at the small boy in front of her. "Come on kid, let's get you cleaned up. And then, I feel like Ice cream." She stated as she grabbed his hand and began dragging him along.

-Flashback End-

Izuku saw that same woman crying at the thought of her child getting hurt. As rotten as the kid might have been, he couldn't do that to her. He quickly ran towards an alley with Talia following closely. He took off his shirt, revealing a dark compression shirt underneath, and pulled out a helmet like mask that covered his mouth and hair. "You're going to help that brat?" A voice behind him asked. He turned to see Talia putting on a similar mask to his. "Why are you getting dressed up? This is a private party." He stated as he left the aisle.

-Market-

Izuku quickly arrived to the market to see come heroes running damage and crowd control, but no one was going after the monster. "We have to wait for someone with a decent counter quirk to get on the scene!" A hero with water hoses for arms yelled. _'Alright, slime like monster, has a hold on a kid, and now can blow up anything with a touch. Great.'_ Izuku thought as he dropped into a convenience store from the skylight and began browsing through the products. "Propane? Nope. Anticoolant? Negative..." He continued to look until he encountered a fire extinguisher. He quickly grabbed it, along with a couple of cans of compressed air, and sped out the door.

As he left the market, the blob like creature noticed him. "HAHAHA! What are you planning to do with that?" The figure asked, but all of the heroes grew worried. This guy wasn't a known registered hero, so what was he doing here? 'Who is that?' A certain small blonde asked as he watched the scene unfold.

The slime made a mad dash towards Izuku and attempted to squish him under his arm, but was stopped as a large amount of the extinguisher was fired off at once, directly into the blob monster's face. The blob yelled in pain and writhed, completely ignoring him. Izuku took advantage of this and quickly took the compressed air cans from his pockets. He turned them upside down and began spraying the area where the boy was held. The ice-cold liquid began hardening the blob monster's skin. After a few seconds, Izuku let out a punch into the creature's abdomen. The slime holding Bakugo shattered, letting the kid drop. Izuku quickly picked him up and began running away, but was stopped as the blob creature grabbed onto his ankle.

 _'This is bad. If he gets me and the kid, then this entire attempt was useless!'_ Izuku mentally berated himself. He gathered every ounce of strength he had and hurled Bakugo away from himself, watching as wooden vines quickly caught him.

The monster lifted Izuku by his ankle to eye level and spoke. "YOU JUST COST ME THAT QUIRK!" The creature yelled. A tentacle slammed into his stomach, making Izuku cough. "You'll pay for that!" The creature swore. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" A voice cut through the crowd.

A/N: Read and Review!


	7. Chapter 7

**-Last Time-**

"YOU JUST COST ME THAT QUIRK!" The creature yelled. A tentacle slammed into his stomach, making Izuku cough. "You'll pay for that!" The creature swore. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" A voice cut through the crowd.

-Now - All Might's Viewpoint-

All Might had never felt so useless. He had stopped this villain, but somehow, the monster had managed to get away. Now, there was a kid in trouble, an entire market place in shambles, and there was nothing he could do. _'This was all my fault...'_ He berated himself as he saw the mother of the teen begging the heroes present to help her child. He shut his eyes and attempted to look away in the midst of all of this commotion, but everything grew still. He opened his eyes to see a man lugging a fire extinguisher standing before the slime creature. "HAHAHA! What are you planning to do with that?" the creature bellowed. _'Is that Eraserhead? No, no scarf. Some newcomer?'_ All Might internally asked himself, worried that a newbie would be fighting a full-blown villain.

He saw Izuku spraying the monster with the fire extinguisher, the substance damaging the monster's eyesight. _'When are you going to use your quirk?!'_ All Might internally demanded, but was astonished as he saw the man pull out. compressed air? _'This idiot is going to get himself killed!'_ All Might thought, clenching his fist. He witnessed as the compressed air temporarily froze the monster's tentacles and a punch managed to smash through the now frozen monster's stomach. The teen that was held by the villain fell out of the villain's hold. All Might watched as the monster's tentacle's wrapped around the newcomer's leg and begun dragging him in. _'Great, now there's two hostages instead of one.'_ All Might thought, but his train of thought was cut short as he saw the newcomer grab the kid and throw him out of the monster's grip.

 _'Did you just!'_ All Might demanded of himself, seeing the newcomer actively sacrifice himself to get the kid out of trouble. As he clenched his fist, steam began pouring from his body, muscles inflating as his entire body began filling out. "You'll pay for that!" The creature swore. "STOP RIGHT THERE!" All Might screamed as he dashed in front of the newcomer.

-Izuku's Viewpoint-

Izuku watched as a tentacle began coming down towards him, intent on ending him. He struggled against the slime, until he heard a loud voice yelling "STOP RIGHT THERE!" and a loud boom resounded. He looked up to see All Might, the greatest hero in the world, before him. The man quickly pulled him from the monster's grip and cocked his fist back. **"DETROIT SMASH!"** The man yelled as he slammed his fist into the creature, creating such a tremendous air pressure that the villain was sent into the air, freeing Izuku. Izuku watched in shock, as he remembered this hero. The same one who promised a future of heroics, and was the reason why he grew obsessed with a hero's future. He clenched his fists, but looked away. _'I believe this is my cue to leave...'_ Izuku thought as he began to walk away.

A sudden large hand on his shoulder froze him. "And where are you going, young hero?" All Might's voice boomed, making Izuku tense. "Aren't you going to stay for the photo op and the reporters?" All Might asked. "I have better things to do than to bask in the spotlight." Izuku answered, trying to make his voice sound gravelly. He took off and began climbing onto a fire escape to reach a nearby roof when wooden branches sealed off his escape route. "Stop, vigilante!" Kamui, a hero who had control over wood demanded. "You're under arrest for Vigilantism and operating without a hero license!" Mountain Woman, a woman with the ability to grow as big as a mountain stated. "Guys, what's going on? He just saved the kid and helped put an end to a hostage situation!" All might demanded.

"There's been a vigilante operating in the city, All Might. He's been stopping crime, but he's not registered as a hero and has no formal training!" The hero with fire hoses for hands stated, trying to calm the symbol of hope. "So he's been doing our job for us and the first thing we do is attack him?!" All Might demanded, but stopped as a hiss sound began from Izuku's location. Smoke quickly filled the area, getting everyone to tense. "Anyone have a visual?!" Kamui demanded. With a flick of his wrist, All Might cleared the smoke, but Izuku was gone. "After him!" Mountain Lady stated as she grew in size.

-With Izuku-

Izuku was running top speed, jumping from rooftop to rooftop in a desperate attempt to stay away from the heroes. He knew if he was caught, there went everything. Maybe not to the overly dramatic extent, but he would have to leave town. He was part of the League of Shadows. That meant being a shadow, not the center of the spotlight. As he ran, a giant hand landed before him, stopping him. He turned to see the rescue hero blocking off one edge of the roof, Kamui the other, and All Might coming up to him. "Come quietly. We don't want any trouble.." All Might stated. Internally, he was conflicted. He understood why him operating without a license or training was a big deal. It sent a message to other amateurs that it was fine. And that's how people ended up dead. Not to mention, with no hero insurance, there was no one to foot property damage bills, and if he ever went to the dark side, there would be no way to put an immediate stop to him.

Yet, here this hero was getting more done than even some of the highest-ranking heroes. It was a raw deal. "Not a chance." Izuku stated. With a swift motion, he withdrew shuriken from his emergency pouch and threw them at the rescue hero, pinning his hands to the ground. Kamui jumped in to attack, but was surprised as his karate chop was blocked and countered. Izuku grabbed his arm, twisting in a way that he felt an immense amount of pain, almost as if his arm was pulled from its socket. Izuku followed up by throwing Kamui over his shoulder, then slamming his heel into the man's leg, getting a sickening crack. Mountain Lady had enough and slammed her palm to where he was. Izuku rolled out of the way and gripped her sleeve. As she raised her hand, she raised him out of the way. Getting his bearings, he began to run down her arm towards her face, catching her by surprise.

Before she could react, Izuku threw a smoke pellet to her face, the sudden cloud of smoke obstructing her view. As she raised her hand, she positioned him into a freefall towards her face. Izuku tucked his knees to his chest, then released them with force, slamming his heels and entire weight into her nose. The heroine began falling back, her giant form receding. _'If she falls from this distance, she's done!'_ Izuku thought as he reached out and grabbed her. He could have run away instead of helping her, but that wasn't him. He couldn't risk All Might not doing anything and letting this woman get hurt. He snagged her collar with one hand as she gripped her face. He quickly brought her face to face with him and wrapped his arms around her. With a twisting motion, he turned his body to the floor and prepared for the landing, sure the entire weight and impact of the fall would be absorbed by his body. Before he could hit the floor, he felt large hands grab him from the air and land with him. A hand slammed into the back of his neck and the world went dark.

\- 20 Minutes Later - The Heroes-

The heroes had recuperated and were currently standing over an unconscious Izuku. "You want us to do what, All Might?!" Kamui demanded, leaning on the hero with firehoses for hands. He could barely stand, the pain in his leg and arm still present. "I want to send him to UA." All Might replied from his depowered form, getting shocked looks from everyone present. "You're insane! He's a criminal! He attacked three heroes in broad daylight!" Mountain Lady stated, her nose still throbbing with pain. "And he took down three fully fledged heroes by himself." All Might countered. "Yea, thanks a lot for your help!" The rescue hero remarked. "Look, he didn't use any quirks during your fight." All Might began.

"He managed to disable Backdraft without killing him, take down the biggest threat to himself in Kamui, and take down an opponent 15 times his size!" All Might stated, getting the heroes to look towards the ground in shame. "Then, while Mountain Lady was in pain and plummeting to her potential death.." All Might saw the worry in her face "I was going to catch you." All Might tried to assure her. 'But he gave up the chance to run away and caught her. He did the same thing he did for that boy. He saved them." All Might assured the heroes. "He's a wanted vigilante. We can't just make that go away." Kamui stated, getting a grin from All Might. "You leave that to me!" All Might replied with a toothy grin as Izuku began moving. "Looks like sleeping beauty is coming to." All Might stated.

-Izuku-

His vision swam as he regained consciousness. "Gah...What happened?" He asked groggily. "Is the big girl ok?" he began, but was stopped as he received a slap to the back of the head. "Did you just call me fat?!" Mountain Lady demanded, sporting a light blush at the hero before her. It wasn't often a proffessional hero was rescued, so this was new to her. "..." Izuku stayed quiet _'Good, she's safe. Now, to worry about myself.'_ He thought as he tried to reach his back pocket, but found it empty. "Looking for this?" Mountain Lady asked as she held up a small blade. "So you fondled my butt." Izuku asked, making the woman blush and sputter excuses. He was stopped as a lanky blonde sat before him. "Who are you?" Izuku asked, getting a grin from the Man. "I am All Might, and I have a deal for you..." The man began. _'I've got a bad feeling about this...'_ Izuku internally groaned.

A/N: Read and review, crew! They help motivate my muse. She's a fickle bitch who likes shiny things and coffee.


	8. Chapter 8

-Last Time-

"I am All Might, and I have a deal for you..." The man began. 'I've got a bad feeling about this...' Izuku internally groaned.

-Now-

' _I knew I was going to regret it..'_ Izuku thought to himself as he stared at the huge building before him. UA, one of the top her schools in the country. How did he get here, one might ask..

-Flashback-

"The offer is this: We won't turn you in to the authorities. We won't even ask your identity or take off your mask." All Might began, seeing Izuku perk up. "In exchange, you enroll into UA and make something of yourself as a legitimate hero." All Might stated, getting a confused look from Izuku. "So, you want me to go legit?" Izuku asked, getting a nod from All Might. "Why?" Izuku asked, riling up Kamui. "The top hero offers you a way out, and your first instinct is to question it?!" The man demanded of Izuku, getting a nod. "Life is rarely kind. Besides, my beat has remained calm since I've begun patrolling." Izuku stated.

"This is your chance to do more!" Kamui countered. "More for who? The people who need help or the people I'm told to help?" Izuku asked, making Kamui simmer down. "You would, of course, have to stop your vigilante activities until you graduate." All Might stated, getting a harsh glare from Izuku. "Not going to happen." He stated. "The people I help don't have the luxury of being in a high visibility area for heroes. They aren't tormented by villains who are hell bent on taking over the world, so they're ignored. The police rarely come to my beat .With this cover, crimiinals do as they please and enforce their will on those who can't help themselves." Izuku continued.

"I might consider your deal, but there will be stipulations on my part." Izuku finished, seeing Kamui being held back by Backdraft. "What makes you think you're in any position to negotiate, vigilante?" All Might asked, curious. "If you're really All Might, that means something has gone wrong." Izuku stated. "Your clothing fits you like a tent. You're gasping for breath, and you sat down. It wasn't because you wanted to sit down, your legs grew weak." Izuku stated. "I end up in jail, the news leaks that the Number One hero is having trouble with his powers." Izuku concluded, getting shocked looks from everyone present.

"And what's to stop us from making you disappear?" Kamui asked. "Nothing at all." Izuku replied, getting a confused look from Mountain Lady. "Then why are you sure we won't do that?" she asked. "You're heroes. You know where the line is drawn, and your own morality stops you from crossing it. Even in maximum security and isolation, word travels fast." Izuku stated calmly. On the inside, he was worried. These heroes had him by the short and curlies, and he knew it. This bluff was his very last chance at reaching an agreement.

"HAHAHAHA!" A loud laugh bellowed from All Might, making everyone turn to him. "Very well, young one. You've made your point." He conceded. "What would your stipulations be?" All Might asked, not seeing the internal relief Izuku felt.

-Flashback End-

At the end, Izuku had managed to convince the heroes to allow him to enroll into the Academy under an alias and to keep his face obscured at all times. This meant his identity would remain a secret, for now. And since his identity at UA was separate from him, he could continue caring for his area.

' _Alright, let's see what's in store for me.'_ Izuku mused as he approached the entrance. He was currently wearing the standard UA uniform with a facemask that completely covered his hair and face, leaving only his eyes exposed. "Move, loser!" A voice sounded from behind him. He turned to see a petite girl with brown hair and hazelnut eyes falling towards him. He quickly caught her. The poor girl had her eyes clenched shut, waiting for the impact of the floor, but it never came. She opened her eyes to see two green eyes looking down at her. "Th..Thanks!" She stated as she caught herself, and bowed. "Not a problem." Izuku stated as he began walking away.

He made it a few steps when the same girl walked up next to him and began speaking. "Are you here for the hero exam?" She asked, then tapped the side of her head. "Duh. That's why we're all here." She stated, then grinned. "I'm Ochaco! And you are?" She asked, sticking her hand out to greet him. "Bruce." Izuku replied in a curt tone, making the girl nod. "Hey, let's do our best, Bruce-san!" Ochaco stated with a grin, getting Izuku to smile under his mask. Not that she could tell. "Let's do our best." He mused as he opened the door to the exam room.

His eyes went wide as he saw Eraserhead waiting in the class, along with a man that looked like a DJ. "Alright! Let's get this exam started!" The DJ yelled, making everyone taking a seat. "The first part of this is written exam, which you will be graded for." The DJ stated, motioning to the papers in front of them. "You will have an hour to finish this. Anyone Caught cheating will be ejected. Any questions?" The man asked, getting no response. "Good. Begin!" The man yelled, beginning the written exam.

-After the Exam-

Izuku looked down, bored. The test was simple enough, overly so. Though to be fair to the examiners, they probably weren't keeping Rah's Al Ghul's apprentice in mind. The man was brutal when it came to training, and learning as well. He had been run through an extremely accelerated learning program and was being taught by foreign college proffesors at an early age. "Alright everyone, let's begin with an explanation of the next part of the exam!" The man stated with glee.

A larger projector screen was revealed with a city layout displayed. "The practical exam is simple enough. You will be released into a trial city where you will have to defeat various "villains" in order to gain points within a time limit." The DJ like hero began, then motioned to the board as three different types of silhouettes appeared.

"There are three types of mechanized villains! The lightweights, they are fast, but brittle." He began. "The midweights pack a punch and are more resistant." He continued as a medium sized silhouette appeared. "And finally, the heavies; they are fast, dangerous, and durable." The man finished. "Each is worth a certain amount of points. Lights are 1 point, mediums are 2, and heavies are 3 points." The man concluded. "Do your best to rack up as many points as possible!" The man concluded, but was stopped as a student got up, his hand raised to note he had a question.

"Wait a minute, the handout shows 4 different villains. Is this an embarrassing oversight by UA?" The man asked, getting a snicker from the man. "Thanks for the segue! You are correct!" The man stated with glee. "There will be one last type of villain; their function is different. Have you ever played Super Mario?" The man asked, getting blank looks from the students. _'I suppose it is kind of retro.'_ The man mused. "There were these huge womps that would crush you. They were just stage hazards." The man continued.

"The last classification is Behemoth." The man stated, a huge shadow appearing on the screen. "These are just there as stage hazards. Best to avoid them. They are worth 0 points." The man finished, then turned from the heroes. "Suit up! You will be escorted to the simulated city in a bit." The man finished, the students filing out to change to their sweats. As Izuku got up, he noticed Eraserhead approaching him with a duffel bag.

"Here." The man stated as he threw the bag to Izuku. "What is this?" Izuku asked. "A gift from our mutual friend. He heard you were beginning UA and thought you might need that. He also warned me to handle with care." The man mused, then turned away. Izuku turned away and headed to a nearby changing room.

-Changing Room-

Izuku sighed as he opened the duffel bag. There was what seemed to be a neck/chin strap (Arkham Origins Bottom half of Batman's mask, where the neck is covered and the jaw supported, but the actual mask still needs to be put on), along with a heavy helmet like mask. He lifted it to inspect it, but was surprised as it beeped negative, a small panel on the side flashing. He lightly grazed it with his thumb; as soon as he did, a single beep resounded. "Please put on the helmet." A voice asked. Izuku was cautious as he put the helmet on, making sure to be ready to throw it off, should it prove to be a trap.

' _Hello, Vigilante-san.'_ Lucius' voice rang into the mask-like helmet. _'I figured you were still wearing the same small mask you wore the first time we met. You helped me when I needed it, so I figured I'd help you out a bit. This mask has a built in AI and communications. It's also designed with built in air purifiers, eye protection, and padded to ensure a knock to the head doesn't do as much damage.'_ The man continued. _'The AI is named Alfred. He'll be able to help you with any more questions you might have. Best of luck!'_ The message ended.

Izuku locked the mask in and waited. The eye protection seemed to be good, as it did not hinder his vision. _"Greetings, Master Vigilante."_ A voice rang in his ear, getting Izuku to turn. _"I am Alfred, the AI that was built in to this unit."_ The voice continued, letting Izuku relax a bit. _"Please grab the belt in the bag and equip it."_ The voice stated, making Izuku look in the bag. "What's in the belt?" He asked. _"The current belt in front of you is equipped with the following equipment: Grappling guns, smoke pellets, sleep gas, shuriken, rebreather, and Foam C4."_ The voice finished. Izuku jumped a bit as the corner of his left eye lit up, showing small pictures of the equipment.

"Foam C4?" Izuku asked. _"A powerful explosive with versatile applications; capable of demolishing walls for breaches, destroying floors for surprises, etc. Please note, the foam is diluted. The more that is sprayed, the bigger the explosion."_ The AI replied, making Izuku sweat on the inside. _'And this idiot was throwing the bag around like it was nothing!'_ he scowled, then finished getting ready. He was wearing his mask and neck protection, a dark compression shirt, black cargo pants, the belt hung comfortably around his waist. He put on a pair of sap gloves, then empties his gear into his new utility belt. "Show time." He whispered to himself as he exited the dressing room.

A/N: Guys, where mah reviews at? Come on people, I need motivation! When I'm not motivated, things end in a cliffhanger! So please, read and review!


	9. Chapter 9

-Last Time-

"Show time." He whispered to himself as he exited the dressing room.

-Now-

Izuku looked at the massive city before him. _'If UA ever shuts down, their campus could end homelessness in one fell swoop.'_ He thought to himself as he looked around. All of the assembled heroes seemed to be warming up, displaying a variety of accessories to help them amplify their quirks. He spied the same girl he met earlier approaching him, but she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Are you the vigilante?!" the loud voice of a student yelled. The kid had hair in a blue shade with blue eyes, and was wearing glasses.

He had on a tight get up, and what seemed to be a small exhaust came out of each of his legs. "No." Izuku replied, then turned away. The boy reached out to Izuku and grabbed his shoulder, making him stop. "Then who are you?! State your name and quirk!" boy demanded. "Isn't it polite to introduce yourself first?" Izuku asked, stopping himself from hurting the brat. "Gah… My apologies! I am Tenya Iida!" The now named Tenya stated, almost saluting him. "My quirk is engine, and allows me enhanced speed!" The boy finished. "My name is Bruce Wayne." Izuku replied, then turned to walk away. "What about your quirk?!" The boy demanded.

"It's foolish to give away information to a potential enemy." Izuku stated. "Alright Examinees! Beyond this wall lies your test! Remember, no funny business! That means no attacking each other!" An amplified voice began. "Now go!" The voice abruptly finished as the gates slammed down. The entire class was confused until they realized the test had begun. Everyone began running into the mock city in a rush to gather their points. _'Master Bruce.'_ Izuku heard through his comms. _'You might want to get in there and begin gathering points.'_ Alfred stated, getting a nod as Izuku began running into the fray.

-Inside the testing area-

Izuku watched as various participants were currently engaged in a free for all. The boy who confronted him was currently using his super speed to slam his legs into robots, crushing them. Bakugo was using his explosions to destroy his opponents; an unknown was freezing the robots; and Ochaco was using what appeared to be gravity to make robots lighter than air and toss them around like rag dolls. "Looks like I'm up." He whispered to himself as a robot approached him. He reached into his pocket and flung out three shuriken. Two embedded themselves into the robot's facial area, and one into the central camera controlling movement.

Izuku took this opportunity to use his blade to slice the robot's head off, making it fall, defeated. Another two robots began approaching as Alfred spoke up. _"Master Bruce, might I suggest the grappling gun?"_ Alfred asked, making Izuku grin. "Good idea." He spoke up and reached into the belt to withdraw a grappling gun. He aimed it at the robot and shot, making the grappling hook sail past the robot. It embedded itself into another robot and began pulling Izuku towards the robot. Izuku quickly prepared his legs and delivered a devastating heel slam to the incoming robot.

He sailed past the now downed robot and into another. The robot was not ready for the new weight and fell to the floor. Izuku took advantage of this and slammed his sword through the robot's head. "That's three points." Izuku mused to himself.

-Elsewhere-

"We have an interesting batch this year." A soft voice stated. All around a conference room were the UA teachers. "Indeed. Seems we have some real powerhouses." Eraserhead stated. "And some anomalies." Came the voice of a small, ferret like creature. "What do you mean, principal?" All Might's voice asked. "Here." The principal stated as he clicked a button. The screen showed Izuku using a grappling hook to heel slam a robot, then using the remaining momentum to tackle another robot, ending it. "This student. Bruce Wayne, here under recommendation from yourself, All Might." The principal stated. "He has yet to use a quirk, and it shows. He only has three points, while our most promising students are in the high 60's." The animal finished.

"How do you know he hasn't used a quirk?" Came the voice of a hero in what seemed to be an astronaut suit. "The arena has special sensors to detect and tag when a quirk energy is used and by whom. It lets us know who is properly using their quirks and who is blind firing." The principal stated, clicking a button. A chart came up, showing Bakugo using his explosion quirk 99% of the time. Bruce's remained at 0. "Could he be like the other student? Mei Hatsume?" A teacher asked. "Unlikely. Even she used her quirk a few times during her exam." The principal stated, then turned to the screen. "We are here to grade them on their Insight, Agility, Judgement, and sheer Fighting Prowess." The principal stated as the cameras showed the fight.

"Looks like our students have clustered. Let's break them up, shall we?" the principal asked as he pressed a button.

-With Izuku-

Izuku was approaching another two robots when a large rumbling was heard. He turned to see a building begin to collapse on itself as the ground rumbled. A giant hand seemed to emerge from the dust being kicked up as even more rumbling was heard _'What the hell is going on?'_ Izuku wondered as he continued to watch. A huge, mechanical robot rose from the rubble of the now collapsed building, a swing of its mechanized arm destroying more buildings. Izuku watched as various students began running from the hulking behemoth. _'This is considered a stage hazard?! This is bullshit!'_ Izuku began as he turned, but was stopped as Alfred's voice came in. _"Master Bruce, it seems someone is still in front of us."_ Alfred stated. "Do you have cameras in this thing?" Izuku asked, but looked ahead.

On the floor was the girl he met earlier, Ochaco. She was currently trying to lift a large chunk of debris pinning her legs. The girl tried to use her quirk, but it seemed the pain was so bad that she couldn't concentrate. "Must have happened during that thing's release." Izuku stated as he looked on. The large robot began moving, and if it got far enough, it would crush the girl. All the other students seemed happy to run away, he noticed, as Tenya ran past him without a second thought. Alfred asked the question on everyone's mind. _'What will you do, Master Bruce?'_

-Teacher's Conference Room – All Might's POV-

" _What will you do, Vigilante?'_ All Might asked as he watched. "Someone should step in before the girl is hurt." Eraserhead stated, but was stopped by the principal.

-Izuku-

"It's obvious. We're going to save her!" Izuku replied as he ran towards the giant machine, making everyone stop to watch. Even the teachers were shocked in their conference room. If the kids with useful quirks in this situation were running, why was this potentially quirkless kid charging ahead? _'Alright, first thing is to get that machine to change course! Then, getting the debris off of her and getting her to safety.'_ Izuku thought as he pulled out a secondary grappling gun. He shot the first one at the robot, the hook embedding itself into the robot's shoulder. As the hook began lifting him, he turned and fired the secondary hook to the large piece of debris pinning Ochaco's legs.

As he approached the giant's face, he yelled as loudly as he could "HEY UGLY! GET A LOAD OF THIS!" The robot stopped its movement and turned to Izuku. It used its hand to try to get Izuku, but as soon as Izuku landed to the giant's shoulder, he began running towards the robots back. There were large amounts of cables and wires hidden behind the panels, but he had no way to get to them. They would have to be destroyed in order for him to have a snowball's chance. "Alfred, how do I use the C4 foam!?" Izuku demanded. A small schematic appeared in his peripheral. _'The foam is loaded into a quick eject hand gun. Simply point it where it is needed and click. You do have to be extremely close to the surface for it to stick.'_ Alfred replied. Izuku rolled out of the way of the hand descending on him, trying to get him off.

' _I hope this works!'_ Izuku thought as he wrapped the grappling gun connected to the debris around the mechanical hand before him. As the hand moved, the gun began retracting into itself. This sent the debris pinning Ochaco flying. Izuku concentrated as he approached the surface where the neck of the robot connected with the body. He began spraying the foam as quickly as he could, until the robot's face began spinning to face him.

Izuku emptied as much of the substance as he could onto the robot's neck like joint, then turned to the face. The lone eye the robot was using to look at him seemed to be powering up. _'I don't think I want to see what happens next.'_ Izuku thought to himself as he began running to the edge of the robot's shoulder. _'To detonate the foam, press the trigger again."_ Alfred's voice rang through the comms. As he jumped off the edge, he clicked the trigger. A massive explosion rang out behind him, propelling him forward due to him being so close to the blast radius. As Izuku fell, he grabbed his grappling gun and shot it into a nearby building. The hook connected, making him swing in an arc.

As he approached the floor, he tucked himself into a ball and rolled, taking little damage. Everyone watched the massive explosion behind him. The robot's head had been completely destroyed, along with a chunk of its torso. Without the supports from the head and the torso, the robot began to collapse onto itself. Izuku quickly ran to where Ochaco was still lying down. He quickly picked her up and ran as fast as he could, debris from the explosion raining down on him.

-Teacher's Lounge-

Every teacher was shocked by what they had just seen. It was rare that stage Hazards were disabled during the entrance exam, even rarer that they were destroyed. It usually took an extremely powerful quirk to get the job done, but this student had just done it in the span of a few minutes. "Wh..Wh..What just happened?" Asked Eraserhead, genuinely surprised. "He just took down the Stage Hazard." The principal replied, equally surprised. "And he saved his fellow hero in training!" All Might stated with joy. "Please tell me we registered his quirk activating once." Another teacher stated. They all turned to the board with the quirks listed and were shocked to see the same number listed. "0"

-With Izuku-

Izuku huffed as he set Ochaco down, the adrenaline wearing off. He looked up to see everyone staring at him like he had grown a second head. He stopped as he saw an elderly woman approaching him and Ochaco. "My, dearies. Seems we have taken some damage." She mused as she inspected Ochaco's legs. She bent down and kissed Ochaco on her forehead, activating her quirk. Izuku watched with gross fascination as Ochaco's legs twisted back into place, with bones snapping back to their respective locations. "There! All better!" She stated happily and gave Izuku a nod. "Thank you for helping her, Hero-san." She said with a smile and began walking away.

A loud buzzer sounded, announcing the test was over. Everyone returned to the entrance and saw their point scores posted on the screen. Izuku was helping an injured Ochaco make it back to the gate, since her legs were still a bit woozy. Everyone turned to see their scores, and Izuku could already see his at the very bottom. _'3 points, huh? Not bad….'_ He thought to himself with a small smile. He handed Ochaco off to the medics and began walking to the changing rooms.

-With Tenya-

Tenya looked down in shame as he saw the masked hero walk away. He had misjudged the guy badly, even daring to call him a vigilante. But when the chips were down and everyone was running away, that guy… no, Bruce, was the only one who stepped up to face the problem. He rescued the girl being taken away by the medics. _'Was that part of the test? Is that what it truly means to be a hero?'_ Tenya wondered to himself as he looked at the board. Bruce was at the bottom with three measly points, but Tenya knew better. Out of anyone here, Bruce was the most deserving a spot in UA.

-Live Feed – With Lucius-

"Interesting…" Lucius thought as he took noted on "Bruce's" fight. "Obviously an alias, but the kid is impressive." Lucius muttered to himself as he took notes. The kid liked high places and tended to jump. Maybe there was something that could be done to accommodate. _'A cape? Nah, that's silly.'_ Lucius thought to himself, then stopped as he thought of a material he had been tinkering with. "Still, this kid is impressive. I'll ask Eraserhead if any of the quirk sensors went off, but if my working theory is correct, this kid has no quirk." Lucius continued speaking and a voice answered. "Seems that way, Master Fox." An elderly man spoke as he wheeled in a dinner platter.

"How long have you been there, Alfred?" Lucius asked the elder butler. "Long enough sir. This kid seems intriguing." The butler answered. "Indeed; But if he is indeed quirkless, he's going to need a lot of help." Lucius spoke offhandedly. "Well, it's a good thing he has you in his team." Alfred replied as he left the study.

-A/N: Alright guys, I'm a bit disappointed. Surely we can get those review numbers up. So the next chapter will be due when we hit 30 reviews. And that shouldn't be this hard. I could understand this being a bad practice if we got anything out of writing Fanfiction, but we don't. Reviews are literally all the thanks or reward we get


	10. Chapter 10

-Last Time-

"Well, it's a good thing he has you in his team." Alfred replied as he left the study.

-Now-

Izuku was wandering down the streets in his neighborhood during the daytime. It had been almost a week since the entrance exams to UA, and he'd been doing his own thing. Patrolling his beat, staying busy, and getting reacquainted with his old stomping grounds. He was currently in his civilian clothing, wearing a simple shirt and pants. He looked like a bum, if he was being honest. _'I remember this street. Mom used to bring me here a lot.'_ Izuku thought to himself, the bittersweet memory reminding him of a much simple time. As he continued walking, a hand grabbed him by his ear and began pulling it. "Izuku-chan! How could you just walk past me and completely ignore me? I know your mother taught you better than that!" The voice demanded.

He had almost retaliated until he heard that sentence. 'Your mother' was the one thing that stopped him. He looked up to see a woman wearing a pair of jeans, a simple shirt, and an apron scolding him. She had short blonde hair and hazelnut colored eyes, and was obviously much older than himself. "I'm sorry. You are?" Izuku asked, but was bonked over the head by the same woman. "And how dare you forget us?!" The woman demanded as she entered what looked like a primary school. "Genkai Orphanage?" he asked, as a flood of memories came back to him.

-Flashback-

A young Izuku was playing with a few of his non-quirk friends. He was having fun, pretending his All Might figure was himself, soaring through the air and stopping the bad guys. His mother was currently talking with a younger version of the caretaker. They were speaking like grade school friends, and she waved the young Izuku over. "Come on, Izuku! Say hello to Mina!" She stated. He approached the woman and she smiled at him kindly. "So, this is the young hero in training?" Mina asked, getting a nod from the young Izuku. "Well, Mr. Hero, thank you in advance for everything! I'm sure you'll do great things!" The woman stated in such a sure tone, Izuku wondered if her quirk was to see the future.

"Alright, now you run off and play with the other kids. Your mom and I have some catching up to do." The woman stated, getting an enthusiastic nod from the younger Izuku.

-Flashback End-

"Mina-san?" Izuku asked, getting the woman's attention. "You're darn right! Look at you, you're dressed like a bum!" The woman stated as she fussed at the boy. "What happened to the young boy who wanted to be a hero?" She stated, angrier than she should be. Izuku tried to defend himself, but she kept going on with her speech. "This is not what your mother wanted for you! She'd be ashamed!" The woman stated, then quickly slapped her hands over her mouth. Mina knew what she said saw uncalled for, and instantly regretted it. Izuku seemed to deflate under that statement, his entire demeanor dropping.

"I..I'm sorry." Mina stated in a low voice, wrapping Izuku in a hug. "I've got other things on my mind. I shouldn't be taking them out on you." The woman stated, then motioned Izuku into the orphanage. "Come in, and we'll have a cup of tea." The woman stated, leading a dejected Izuku.

-Inside –

Izuku listened to the woman talk about how things had been since he had last been in town. "After I heard what happened, I tried to take you in, but someone had already stepped up. I have been over capacity for a while now, and that didn't help my case." The woman stated, sighing. Then, some…staff issues brought us into the spotlight and funding has been decreasing ever since." The woman continued. "Have adoptions not been as good as they could be?" Izuku asked. "Well, adoptions are already a tricky matter. But add the fact most of my wards either have no quirk or a low-level quirk, no one wants them." The woman stated sadly. "But that's fine. We're all one big happy family!" The woman finished happily, getting a smile from Izuku.

"But enough about me, what have you been up to?" Mina asked. Izuku grinned as he began telling her how he had been adopted shortly after entering the system by a wealthy man and had been travelling the globe, learning all that he could. The woman smiled, glad that the young man before her had gotten a good opportunity. "Well, sounds like you've had your share of fun." The woman said, then turned to the window, observing the kids playing. "You got lucky. A lot of those kids out there won't ever get to experience what you have.." Mina stated.

She quickly corrected herself, letting Izuku know she meant the travelling and adoption, not the loss of a mother. Izuku nodded and slowly got up. "It's getting late. I need to head home." Izuku stated, getting a nod from the woman. "Well, don't be a stranger, ok?" The woman asked as she hugged the boy closely. "I'm sorry you had to go through that; If you ever need to talk, I'll be here for you." Mina stated, getting a grateful nod from Izuku. "Thanks!" He stated as he left.

-Elsewhere-

A tall, lanky man was holed up in a dark basement. There were various beakers and Bunsen burners lying about the place, along with notebooks filled with notes. A large chalkboard was in a corner, a fist indentation visible on it. "I've finally done it!" The man stated with glee, exposing his shaggy black hair and brown eyes to the air. He held a vial with yellow serum in his hand, a maniacal smile gleaming from his face. "I need a test subject…but who?" The man wondered, then turned to the chalkboard. A picture of a blonde woman with various children around her caught his eyes. "Genkai orphanage, huh?" The man asked, then grinned. He had work to do.

-Time Skip – That Evening-

Izuku was currently listening to the built-in police scanner his new helmet had been equipped with. He had stopped a mugging and so far, everything was quiet. _'All units, we've got a potential assault at Genkai orphanage. Please respond.'_ The voice came in. Izuku felt as if he had been splashed with freezing cold water. HE quickly used his grappling gun to latch onto a building and began making his way to the orphanage.

-At the orphanage-

As Izuku walked in, he saw Mina huddled in a corner. He approached her, but she yelled for him to get away. "Mina, it's ok. You're fine now." Izuku tried to assure her, but was stopped as she slapped him and ran away. As she turned a corner, she ran into several of her wards and screamed. She quickly ran into a closet and holed herself up. As Izuku approached the closet, a small child came up to him. "Excuse me, mister. What did the mean man to do her?" The small child asked. "What mean man?" Izuku asked back. "A mean man came in here and was talking with Mina-kaa-san!" A young boy with brown hair and blue eyes stated. "Kaa-san told him to go away, but he pushed something into her neck. Then she ran away, crying!" The girl continued. "Did you see what he pushed into her neck?" Izuku asked, the girl giving a nod.

"It was a nasty shot!" She stated, displeased. "He threw the shot into the garbage can!" The boy finished, getting nods from the others. Izuku approached the trash can and fished out a syringe with a very small amount of yellow liquid in it. "Yea, that's it! Then she got scared!" The last boy stated. Izuku looked up and noticed a camera. "Where is the caretaker's office?" He asked, getting one of the 12-year-old kids to stand in front of him. "We're not going to let you hurt our kaa-san!" He stated as he raised his fists. Izuku raise his hands. "I'm trying to help her. But I need information to do so." He stated. "Will she be okay?" The boy asked.

Izuku nodded as he pulled out a pink pellet from his belt and rolled it under the door. He quickly put on his rebreather and told the kids to back away as Mina's terrified screams died down. He opened the door to see her asleep, the gas having done its job. "She's asleep now. But unless I know what happened and who did it, I won't be able to help her." Izuku stated, getting a shaky nod from the boy. "Alright… follow me." The boy stated, then motioned for Izuku to follow.

-Mina's office-

Izuku quickly approached the computer and broke the password lock on it. Once he was in, he accessed the camera feed and began watching. The same kid was currently watching over his shoulder. "You might not want to watch this." Izuku stated, but was stopped as the kid pointed to the screen. "It's Mr. Crane!" The boy stated. "Who?" Izuku asked. He used to help take care of us, but he left because Mina-kaa-san said he was a bad man." The boy replied. Izuku watched as the man got Mina's attention. Mina tried to tell him off, but he slipped the needle into her neck and injected her. She quickly fell to the ground, terrified.

The smug man dropped the needle into the trash and exited, leaving a terrified Mina on the ground. Izuku was livid at this point. "Alright Crane, you've messed with the wrong person." Izuku stated as he heard police sirens approaching. He quickly exited through the window, but turned to the kid. "I'll be back to help your caretaker." Then took off into the night.

-Izuku's house-

Izuku was still wearing his helmet as he hacked into the local police department's office and began searching for a crane. He also accessed the department of labor's database and began searching for an employee's list at Genkai orphanage. "Alfred, can you get me in touch with Lucius?" Izuku asked the AI. _'connecting now…'_ The AI replied as Izuku hear a dial tone coming from his helmet. "Hello?" Came Lucius' voice from the other end. "Lucius, it's the vigilante. Although, I suspect you know me as Bruce." Izuku stated. "Yes, I'm aware of your alias, Mr. Wayne." Lucius stated.

"I need your help. Can you meet me?" Izuku asked. "My help with what?" Lucius asked. "I know you have access to camera's that allow you to see everything I do." Izuku stated, then motioned to the screen. "Pull them up so you can see what I'm seeing." Izuku stated and Lucius complied. "Here is one Johnathan Crane." Izuku stated as a profile came up on the screen. "Tonight, he walked into Genkai orphanage and injected the caretaker with an unknown toxin. When I found her, she was terrified of everything, including her charges. If she continues in that state, he heart will give out." Izuku stated with finality.

"I put her to sleep with a sleep gas pellet, but it won't last forever. I got a small sample of the injected substance, and I need help to find a cure." Izuku finished. "I'm an engineer, not a chemist." Lucius stated, but then stopped. "But I know someone. Meet me in the Ishibu Train Station. I'll be wearing a tan trench coat and a hat." Lucius stated, disconnecting the call.

-Ishibu Train Station- Lucius-

Lucius was standing off to a corner chewing on a chicken skewer when he felt the air shift besides him. He turned to see the vigilante besides him, holding a small case with the sample rattling inside. "I'll get this done as soon as possible." Lucius stated as he took the vial from him. "I appreciate your help. Please make sure we have plenty of the antidote when it's made. If he decides to drop this in a heavily populated area, the casualties could be high." Izuku stated. "You know, I never got your name." Lucius stated. "If we make it past this fight, I'll give it to you. I've got a few addresses for Crane. It's time I pay him a visit." Izuku finished as he used his grappling gun to exit the area.

-Abandoned Warehouse – Docks-

Izuku quietly approached the warehouse. It seemed to be empty, and the last two addresses he had visited had been a bust. Hopefully, this would be a winner. He quietly picked the lock and snuck into the warehouse, finding it empty. _'Master Bruce, I detect a light source from the office straight ahead.'_ Alfred's voice rang through. Izuku nodded and slowly approached the small office are. He peeked in to see a tall, lanky man putting on raggedy clothing. He grabbed burlap sack mask and placed it on his head, then turned. "My experiment was a complete success! That bitch ran away like a frightened child!" The man exclaimed with glee.

"So, what now boss?" Came another voice. "Now, we'll visit the University in Shibuya. They called me crazy and unethical for my experiments! They claimed I was a monster! But now? I'll show them I was right!" The man stated as he motioned to the thugs to pick up a large case. "That bitch had caught me experimenting on the children and reported me to the authorities, but she's got her just desserts. Soon, her heart rate will rise so high, he heart will give out!" The man continued. Izuku slammed his heel into the rotted door, breaking it down. He quickly threw weighted shuriken at the two goon's heads, knocking them out. He approached Crane and slammed his fist into the man's face.

"Why did you assault the caretaker of Genkai orphanage?!" Izuku demanded, sending a harsh kick to the man's stomach. "I..I'm sorry!" Crane stated as he lay on the ground. What Izuku didn't notice was that He was currently putting on a large glove with needle tips for fingers. As Izuku reached to pick the man up, Crane darted his hand to Izuku's neck. Three needles pierced his arm as he turned, but Crane began laughing.

"A triple dose? You're in for a fun time!" The man stated, then looked down at him menacingly. "The name's Scarecrow, you sorry excuse for a hero!" The man kicked him, then turned to the goons. "Great! Now I have to wake them up!" The man grumbled.

A/N: What will Izuku see in his visions? Cliffhanger time! Read and review to find out! Come on, please?


	11. Chapter 11

-Last Time-

"The name's Scarecrow, you sorry excuse for a hero!" The man kicked him, then turned to the goons. "Great! Now I have to wake them up!" The man grumbled.

-Now – Izuku-

Izuku groaned as he slowly got up. His head was pounding, his tongue felt overly large, and he felt like he had been run over by a truck. "Wha…what happened?" He asked as he looked around. _'Play it again, mommy!'_ a younger voice demanded nearby. _"Alright, Izuku-kun."_ A soft voice replied, making Izuku shiver. He inspected the room around him to discover he was back in his childhood home, in his own room. It was dark, the only light source coming from a small computer monitor in the room. There, a child version of Izuku sat. The young child was fascinated by what was displayed on the screen, an older video of All Might rescuing dozens of civilians from a catastrophe.

The boy watched with glee, unaware of his present self's sorrow. "This can't be… This is in the past!" Izuku told himself, but was stopped as a presence walked into the room. He turned to see his mother walk into the room, smiling with the same kind smile she used to wear. _"Play it again, mommy!"_ The young Izuku urged as he banged his head back and forth in excitement. His mother gave a short laugh and replayed the video for him, then went on about her business. No one had acknowledged the older Izuku in the room yet; but as she walked away, her head turned to his position, all kindness gone from it. _**"This is all your fault!"**_ The apparition spat venomously, then left the room.

Izuku ran after his mother, but was stopped as the scenery around him changed. They were now in a doctor's office, the same one where he was told that he would never have a quirk. His mother was looking down in shame as she explained to the doctor what her quirk was. As the doctor told the younger Izuku about his condition, his mother got up and began storming towards the older Izuku. As the approached him, she backhanded him with a surprising amount of force, sending him flying into a nearby wall. _**"This is all your fault!"**_ The woman screamed at him, obviously pissed.

" _ **I blamed myself when I found out you didn't have a quirk!"**_ The woman continued, choking out sobs through her speech. _**"I thought it was my fault! I thought that maybe, if I didn't have such a weak quirk, if I had been a better mother, that maybe I could have changed things!"**_ The apparition continued, stomping into Izuku's abdomen. Izuku let out a groan as he was pummeled, but he couldn't bring himself to stop her. He couldn't bring himself to raise a fist to her. _**"Now, I see things so clearly. I wasn't the problem."**_ The woman stated a sinister smile on her face. _**"You were. You are the problem."**_ The woman continued.

" _ **You were always a pathetic child. Getting into fights you couldn't win, trying to befriend other kids who would bully or belittle you. And for what?"**_ The woman asked as she stooped down. _**"For some idiotic notion that you could make a difference? That you would rise up above the odds and make a change? Don't make me laugh."**_ The woman sneered. _**"You were a mistake. A mistake I would undo, if given the chance."**_ She finished coldly and began walking away. Izuku felt a sharp pain in his side, but his attention was focused on the woman now walking away.

As he raised his hand, the scene changed again. They were back in his childhood room, with a crying Izuku watching the All Might rescue video for the hundredth time. His mother had walked into the room, the same evil sneer on her face as before. Behind her back was a large kitchen knife, hidden from the younger Izuku. As she approached the small boy, the younger Izuku turned to her. _"Can..Can I be a hero, mommy?"_ He asked. The woman looked at him and began sobbing, but steeled her resolve. _**"I'm afraid you can't be a hero, Izuku."**_ The woman stated firmly. _ **"You're too pathetic and weak!"**_ She continued as she kicked the smaller Izuku in the chest, sending him flying. As the younger Izuku hit the floor, his mother approached his side and knelt beside him.

The younger boy was now crying, his entire body shaking in fear. His mother sighed as she laid his head on her lap, slowly running her fingers through his hair. _**"You'll never be a hero, Izuku."**_ She sated calmly, ignoring the heartbroken sobs of the young child on her lap. _**"But I can give you a gift."**_ She continued, getting Izuku to look up. _**"I can make it so you can fly. And so you never feel pain again."**_ The woman stated with glee in her voice, the knife still sitting beside her. _**"Would you like that, dear?"**_ She asked, getting an enthusiastic nod from Izuku. She closed her eyes and picked up her knife, holding it over the young child's body.

" _ **This will sting a bit. But then, you'll have everything I promised."**_ The woman stated as the younger Izuku closed his eyes. The older Izuku threw a shuriken at the knife, but couldn't make it in time. He watched as his younger self was stabbed with a large kitchen knife. He quickly got up and launched a harsh kick to his mother's face. As the boot connected, she disappeared, like a mirage. He quickly turned to the younger Izuku and tried to wake him up. "Wake up, brat!" He demanded, watching carefully as his younger version opened his eyes. _"Who are you, mister?"_ The younger version of himself asked as everything began to fade.

Izuku looked around himself, senses on the edge as he looked around. He was in an all too familiar alley as he heard two gunshots go off. He turned to see himself crying over the body of his mother, the life quickly leaving her eyes. She finished talking to the younger Izuku, but as she saw the older one, she leapt to attack. _**"This was all your fault!"**_ The woman repeated as she threw a hook, making Izuku duck. _**"If you hadn't been so weak, I would be alive today! All of this was to please you and get your mind off of your bad news, and what do I get for it?! Shot! I got shot!"**_ She continued sending kicks and punches to him, but none connected.

Izuku quickly jumped at her and pinned her to the ground, one arm on her torso and another pinning both hands above her head. _**"You're a disappointment. You're a weak, stupid child who should have never been born! I'm ashamed to call you my son!"**_ The woman continued. _**"My blood is on your hands. And it always will be."**_ The woman finished as she disappeared, the younger Izuku now standing before him. _"How could you?!"_ The child demanded of him. _"She was all I had, and no she's gone because of you!"_ The child screamed as he charged the older Izuku and threw weak punches at him. Izuku sighed as the soft punches landed.

He tried to grab the apparition, but it faded as soon as he touched it. He looked at his hands to see them stained a deep crimson.

-Real world – Izuku-

Izuku's heart rate was elevated as he woke up. He looked around to see he was still in the same warehouse as last night. He was running a fever and hallucinating badly, sweat pouring from the helmet. "Al..Alfred?" Izuku asked. _"Yes, Master Bruce?"_ The AI asked. "Contact Lucius/ Let him know I got tagged with the toxin and I need that serum now." Izuku stated as he tried to get up. A sharp pain in his torso let him know something was wrong. He looked down to see a small switchblade sticking out of him; judging by the lack of blood, it had a corkscrew effect on the wound, keeping all of the blood inside of himself. He grunted as he got up and made his way outside.

" _Master Bruce, Master Lucius will await you with the serum at Ishibu station."_ Alfred's voice rang. "Understood." Izuku replied as he used his grappling gun to get there quicker.

-Ishibu Station-Lucius-

Lucius was awaiting Bruce in front of the Ishibu station. It had been half an hour since he got the message that he had been exposed to the toxin, and he knew that meant he was in trouble. As he waited, he heard a loud crash and clanking from a nearby alley. He approached to see Izuku's downed form slowly trying to get up. He quickly approached the boy and helped him up. "Where have you been? I haven't heard from you in two days!" Lucius demanded. "Two days? Shit, I've been out longer than I thought" Izuku stated, then looked at Lucius.

"I was injected with a triple dose of Crane's fear toxin. That leads to vivid hallucinations and a horrible time." Izuku stated, getting a concerned look from Lucius as he dug around the bag he had with him. He produced a small needle and injected Izuku. Izuku felt his heart rate slowly stabilizing. "Thank you." Izuku stated, but was stopped as he felt a sharp jerk on his side. Lucius had yanked the blade out and was currently inserting what seemed to be a bullet into his wound. With a click, the wound was filled with micro sponges that stopped the bleeding.

"That should hold up until you get medical attention." Lucius stated, then looked at Izuku. "You look like hell." He stated. "You're no prize either." Izuku shot back, getting a grin in return. "So, have you figured out Crane's next move?" Lucius asked as he handed a duffle bag with various injections of the serum to Izuku. "He's going after the University in Shibuya. He's still sore about them firing him; I need to figure out when." Izuku stated, but stopped as he saw the worried look on Lucius' face. "What's wrong?" Izuku asked. "The only university in Shibuya is Odegawa University, and they're hosting a fundraiser with various donors starting in about an hour." Lucius stated. "How do you know this?" Izuku asked.

"It's all they've been talking about on the news. If Crane wanted to get back at them, hurting their reputation at this event would certainly fit the bill." Lucius stated, getting a worried nod from Izuku. "I'm on it." Izuku stated as he shot his grappling gun into a nearby building and zipped away.

-Shibuya University-

The evening had started off well for the Shibuya University Fundraiser. Old alumni had come out to support the institution and donate as much as they could; unfortunately, that's when trouble struck. A tall, lanky man dressed in a scarecrow costume had stormed in and demanded they all bow before him. He had brought various goons that had disabled the campus security and he was currently sitting next to the Dean of the university, laughing like a maniac. "You made fun of me for my research! You called my experiments in fear immoral, unethical, and illegal! Well, who's laughing now?!" Scarecrow demanded. "Crane?" an elderly professor asked, but was quickly stuck by crane's gauntlet. The man fell to the floor, terrified as large amounts of spiders swarmed him and began stinging for all their worth.

Everyone else in the room watched as the man fell to the ground, swiping at his clothes in an attempt to get some invisible foe off of him. "The name's Scarecrow, my friend!" The man stated with an arrogant tone. "Don't you forget it!" He demanded. Izuku was currently on top of the roof, watching everything that was happening from a skylight. "Everyone in this room is responsible for me becoming a laughing stock and being run out of the scientific community. As such, everyone here will pay!" The man stated as he unveiled a large cart the goons had brought in. A large container full of his fear toxin was currently sitting connected to a large aerosol diffuser with a timer.

"In just 10 minutes, this entire room will become a feasting ground for everyone's worst nightmares!" The scarecrow laughed maniacally. "And there's no one to stop me!" The man finished. An older man was sitting in the back, fiddling with the gun in his hands. The man had grey hair in a military buzz cut, a mustache, and rectangular glasses. He was currently wearing a brown overcoat, a white dress shirt, and grey slacks. This was Captain Gordon of the Shibuya Police Department, and he was currently in a tough situation. A large part of him wanted to stop the bad guy, but he couldn't risk so many civilian casualties. Adding the unknown toxin to the mix was not making things any better. _"I'll just have to wait for one of the heroes to make an appearance."_ The officer thought to himself as he steadied his breathing.

A loud crash drew everyone's attention to the ceiling. A lone figure dressed in all black was currently falling in with a wire protruding from his back. As he fell, the wire slowed Izuku's fall. He maneuvered himself to kick Scarecrow's face as he landed, getting a yell from the man. "Get him!" The man screamed, and the henchmen began surrounding Izuku. Izuku quickly threw some dull shuriken at an incoming man's legs, making him stumble. Another tried to tackle him from the side, but Izuku easily jumped over the man and pushed him to the floor. Another goon started firing at Izuku, but was stopped as a shuriken buried itself into his hand, making the man let go.

Two others rushed him and Izuku engaged in hand to hand. Ducking under a wide swing, he swiftly uppercut one of the men and blocked a strike coming from his side. HE quickly closed the distance between them both and delivered a palm strike directly to his stomach. The man was launched backwards, bile spilling from his mouth as he finally fell to the floor. One of the goons managed to strike Izuku in the torso, making his wound burn. Izuku quickly grabbed the offending man and launched a swift kick into the man's torso, making him scream. "You idiots can't do anything right!" A voice behind him yelled.

Izuku knew what was coming and shifted his head, seeing a needled hand flying next to him. He quickly grabbed the arm and bent it, making it point back towards Scarecrow. "NO!" The man yelled, but couldn't overpower Izuku. Crane yelled as the needles sunk into his neck, making his vision blur. "What..What are you?!" The man demanded as Izuku's form shifted. A large cape appeared behind him and his eyes began glowing. Izuku's hands became large, sharpened claws. "I'm your worst nightmare!" Izuku yelled as he punched the man, making him fall. As the scarecrow fell, Izuku rushed to the bomb and checked the timer. It still had three minutes.

Izuku quickly disconnected the tank of toxin from the diffuser and left the diffuser by itself. Without the payload, it was about as useful as an air freshener. He withdrew a syringe and took a large sample of the toxin, but was stopped as a clicking sound was heard behind him. HE turned to see a man in a brown overcoat with a gun pointed at him. "Halt! State your name and your agency!" The man demanded, a police badge in his hand. Izuku turned and looked directly at him. "Scarecrow injected that man with his fear toxin." He began, pointing to the large tank in his hand. "He's injected another. The caretaker from Genkai Orphanage. I'll get the cure to her; here's another in case something happens." Izuku finished as he handed the man before him a syringe.

"That man will also need a dose." Izuku stated as he approached the man attempting to get the spiders off himself. The man tried to crawl away, but was stopped as Izuku slipped a needle into his neck and injected the serum. The man's screams stopped and he went limp. Gordon quickly checked the man to make sure he was still alive. As he confirmed the pulse, he turned to the vigilante. "Again, State your name and agency!" The man demanded.

Izuku glared. "I just saved the lives of everyone in this room and you point a gun at me. Figures." Izuku spat out and handed the toxin to him. "I'm the vigilante." Izuku stated as he fired his grappling gun into the air. As it hooked onto something in the roof, it began pulling him up. Gordon began to line up a shot, but looked at the tank in his hand. The vigilante had a chance to make off with a biochemical weapon, a chance to kill a criminal, and a chance to let a room full of innocents die, but he didn't. _"Don't make me regret this."_ Gordon thought to himself as he turned to the room full of civilians and tried to calm them.

-Shibuya General-

Izuku was exhausted, but his night still wasn't over. He used his grappling gun to gain access to the nurse's station in Shibuya general via a window. He quickly looked up Mina's name and room number, then made his way there. As he approached the heavily sedated Mina, he sighed. "Two people have told me I'm a disappointment and a shame… Maybe they're right." He spoke out loud, not really directing it to anyone. He approached the downed woman and injected the serum into her neck. As he backed away, he heard a few people approaching the room. He quickly made his way to the window and jumped out as the police officer from the university entered.

The police officer walked towards Mina, but stopped as he noticed an empty syringe next to her bedside. "He's already been here!" The man spoke, then turned to the others. "Find him!" Gordon exclaimed, but was stopped as he saw a dark figure standing on a nearby rooftop. Izuku gave him a nod and continued on his way home.

-With Izuku-

Izuku got home and tore his gloves off, exposing his hands to the chilly air. He proceeded to take off his shirt, his hands staining from the copious amount of blood matted on it. He looked down to his hands, the same color of crimson from his hallucinations now staining them. He proceeded to the bathroom and turned on the shower, a choked sob escaping his mouth as he closed the door behind him.

-With Talia-

' _Maybe he's finally home.'_ Talia thought to herself as she let herself into Izuku's apartment. The apartment was dark except for a dim light coming from the bathroom. Talia quickly approached the door and knocked hard on it. "Alright, Izuku! You better have a damn good reason for ditching me!" She exclaimed, even using his childhood nickname. But no answer came. She backed up and her foot sloshed into something. She picked up a piece of crumpled clothing and the smell of iron hit her nose. _'Blood.'_ She thought to herself as she threw the shirt.

She quickly kicked the door in to find Izuku in the shower area. He was still wearing his pants and shoes, and was scrubbing his hands furiously. His hands had gained a red hue at this point from the harsh scrubbing he was doing. She stuck her hand in but pulled it back when the freezing water hit her hands. She turned to the water knobs and found only the hot knob was on. "Izuku, are you ok?" She asked, concern evident in her voice. "There's blood…" Izuku stated, staring at his clean hands. She looked at him and noticed the cut through in his chest. "Come on, you've been hurt." She stated as she tried to pick him up.

He pushed her to the side as kept scrubbing his hands. "It won't come off." He stated in a low, raspy voice. "Izuku, your hands are clean, there is no blood." She stated, trying to get his attention. He was crying, the tears flowing from his eyes freely. "It's still there!" he yelled at her, and she grabbed his hands. "Whose blood?" she asked, deeply concerned for Izuku's mental state. "My mother's… My mother's blood is on my hands." Izuku stated, collapsing into her. She held him in a hug and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm a disappointment. I should have never been born." Izuku muttered, his voice hollow. "Maybe then, she'd be alive." He finished.

"Don't say that." Talia stated, almost crying at the display before her. She had seen Izuku rise above worse situations and come out on top. She had seen him at his lowest, and he never cried. "What happened to you?" She asked. Izuku told her everything he had seen, from his own mother mentally destroying him to her stabbing through his younger self. Talia stayed quiet as she listened. Once Izuku was done, she grabbed his hands into her own. With a delicate touch, she intertwined her fingers into his and kissed the top of his hand. She took a finger into her mouth and licked it clean, showing it to Izuku.

She then shot him an affectionate smile. "There. Both our hands are dirty, but now yours is a bit clean." She stated, getting a hesitant nod from Izuku. "We've both done things we're not proud of. We've both lied, stolen, and killed; But none of it was senseless. I think…your mother would be proud of what you did today. You saved those people. You achieved your goal of being a hero." Talia continued. "Your mother would never regret saving you. To a mother, their child is the most important person in the universe." Talia reassured him.

"As long as you need me, I'll be here for you, Izuku. You're not alone and you're not worthless. You're worth more to me than you realize." She finished, holding Izuku close. Izuku oddly took one of her fingers and licked it clean, the same way she had done his. "Thank you for being here." He muttered as she lifted him from the cold and laid him in the bed. She quickly removed the micro sponges from his wound sterilized it. Afterwards, she began sewing it up, looking at Izuku's face. _'I'll always be here, Izuku-kun.'_ She mentally promised as she finished patching him up. As she climbed into bed besides him, she 'eeped' as his arms found her and brought her close to him.

Izuku wasn't one to initiate physical contact; this was a rare occasion. Talia smiled as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of being wrapped in the arms of the man she loves.

A/N: Alright, I know I'm going to get a lot of crap for this, so let me make this clear. Yes, Izuku suffered something horribly traumatizing. Yes, he broke down. Why? Because he's human. One of batman's greatest advantages is him being just a man. It's also one of his greatest disadvantages. I think him facing his fear is a huge milestone to him being the complete Batman, and it helps develop him as a character. I didn't want him to be this stoic, 2D character who never changes. I want him to face adversity and overcome it. I want him to be different. And I want to showcase the fact that the thing that makes him special is the fact that he's normal.

Anyway, I see as of the publish of this date, the previous chapter had 150+ readers and only 3 reviews. The next chapter will be posted once I hit an undisclosed number of reviews! So, the rest is up to you. And duplicate reviews don't count.

Now, hit that review button!


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